The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the management, Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, to reverse increase in tuition fee in the school.
NANS’ President, Mr Chinonso Obasi, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said that new tuition fee as officially released by the school management was adverse, hence it would be resisted by Nigerian students.
PTI recently released its approved schedule of charges for 2017/2018 academic year with tuition fee of old students increased from N26, 000 to N81, 000 and that of new students from N43, 000 to N91, 000.
Obasi said that though the Nigerian economy was not at its best times, students should not be exploited.
“Four years ago when I graduated in the same institute, the tuition fee was N14, 000 and it is so embarrassing to see a new official fee of N81,000 and N91,000 respectively for old and new students.
“We understand that times are hard and the Nigerian economy is not stable, that notwithstanding, Nigerian students must not be used as a means of increasing internal generated revenue (IGR).
“The Act establishing PTI is exceptionally different from other conventional tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“ PTI is a special institution whose mandate is to train specialised technicians to meet global competition in the oil and gas industry.’’
He said that foreign training which the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), sponsor with millions of dollars could be done by PTI.
Obasi said that NANS would partner with PTI’s management to take advantage of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption strides and tackle the problem of abandoned projects in the institution.
He said that the factors that led to infrastructural decay, lack of adequate training of teachers and poor funding of the institute should be exposed instead of exploiting students.
“NANS urges President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Minister of Petroleum who supervises PTI to advice the institution’s management to unconditionally reverse the tuition fee schedule within 24hrs or face mass action from NANS,’’ Obasi said.