Students of Abia State College of Health Sciences, and Management Technology (ABSCOHMAT) Aba, have called on the Abia state governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu to come to their rescue over exploitations and negative policies of school impeding their academic careers.
The students of the institution, yesterday staged a huge demonstration to protest what the termed as insensitivity and inhuman policies called for an urgent measure to rescue the system from obvious collapse.
The protesting students in their hundreds thronged the Rector’s Office with several inscriptions on their placards, appealing to the scho authority to reverse their initial decisions and allow them write exams with their mates and complete their fees on a later date.
Some of the protesting students said that they were infuriated by the decision of ABSCOHMAT not to allow anyone owing the institution a dime not to write exams.
Several students who spoke to our reporter, contended that there was no moral justification for such action, adding that it was borne out of gross insensitivity to their plights and the prevailing economic realities in the country.
In their words: “We have been exploited so much in this institution an we are saying enough is enough. We wouldn’t know if it because we are mainly females”.
One of the students who pleaded anonymity disclosed that they only had lectures for two months (July and August), and while they were still trying to stabilize and complete their school fees which is Two Hundred and Forth Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred (N247,700.00k), the management came up with the policy of: ‘No completion of fee; no exams’.
“This is a medical course where we need to be grounded with practicals but the reverse is the case. All the institution wants is how to financially exploit the students in spite no good teaching and learning environment”, the student further said.
Most of the students also accused the Bursar, Mr. Kingsley Nwaubani of given clearance to some of his cronies and girl friends who have not completed their school fees, while some students, owing about Five Thousand Naira (N5,000) or less to complete their full payments, were denied access to write exams.
A final year female student who was denied access into the exam Hall on the account that she was owing N15,000, was seen crying and begging one of the officials, stating that things are too hard for her parents as their meagre salaries have not been paid.
Addressing the protesting students, the Rector, Prof. Chigbu Lawrence has called on the students to remain calm while the fashion out a way of handling the matter.
One of the officials who also pleaded anonymity said that the school is autonomous, hence, can fix their school fees the way they want.
He decried Abia state subvention to the school has not been regular.
Information gathered revealed that only about 15 per cent of the students population who were up-to-date in payment, were allowed to exam halls, while the rest were seen stranded, appealing for liniency.
The students appealed to Abia state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to come to their aid, as most of them are at the brink of dropping out from school.
