Uproar as FUPRE Students Shut Down East-West Road Over Alleged Hike in tuition fees •SUG dissociates self •VC Agbalagba Describes Protesters As Faceless

By Osaro Michael, Benin

Pandemonium as suspected students of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday blocked the East-West road including all access into the University campus protesting over an alleged hike in tuition fees.

The students who beared placards danced along the road chanting solidarity songs.

President of the Student Union Government, SUG Etinosa in a telephone chat with Our Correspondent said the Union is not part of the protest. “No!!!We are not part of the protest.”

Etinosa noted,”I have talked to the students and I asked them to calm down. I have pushed their complaints to the Management. But the Management and the students, they just put me in the middle. To be very honest, this thing is tiring.”

FUPRE Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ezekiel Oghenenyerovwo Agbalagba in a telephone chat with Our Correspondent from Abuja confirmed the report.

He said the protesting students are faceless people and unknown to the Student Union Government.

He explained that the school’s management had not concluded negotiations with the Student Union Government, SUG as to the exact fee students are to pay in about five meetings they’ve had.

“They’re not student union leadership. SUG is not part of what they’re doing.

According to him,”We heard issues of review fee charges and we’ve been having meetings with the student union leaders. We’ve had five(5) meetings. We’ve not concluded.

“As at the stage we got to the last time, they said one of them got hold of the document of the stage we were in and posted that this is the school school charges. I said that cannot be possible.

“We suspended all discussions pending when the exam finishes this week. Next week, we are meeting so that everybody will resume where we are and start negotiations.

“This morning, I am in Abuja. I heard that they blocked the road. So, who are those people?

“The SUG made a disclaimer, the incoming that he is not part of what they’re doing. So, they’re even faceless people. I am even releasing a memo in the next five(5) minutes.

“Those things trending on social media are not from the University Management and our discussions, everybody knows where we ended. We have not resolved what and what to charge. Again,it is all about politics to discredit me. Some people may have pockets some of them. They’re not student union leadership. We don’t really know who led the protest. SUG is not part of what they’re doing. They’re now saying, we hearsay. The truth is that, we followed a channel in our dialogue with the students.”

While noting that the students will round up their examinations tomorrow, Prof. Agbalagba pointed out that the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, will begin their strike by next week. “If we don’t manage it properly till next week, we cannot guarantee it. We are on it.”