FUPRE students block East-West road over alleged tuition hike as SUG disassociates self

Some students of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, on Wednesday blocked the East-West Road and all access routes to the university campus in protest over an alleged hike in tuition fees.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, danced, and chanted solidarity songs, demanding a reversal of the alleged increase.

However, the Student Union Government (SUG) of the institution has distanced itself from the demonstration. In a telephone chat with our correspondent, the SUG President, Etinosa, said the union was not part of the protest. “No, we are not part of the protest,” he said. “I have talked to the students and asked them to calm down. I have pushed their complaints to the management. But the management and the students just put me in the middle. To be very honest, this thing is tiring.”

When contacted, FUPRE Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ezekiel Oghenenyerovwo Agbalagba, confirmed the protest but described those involved as faceless individuals unknown to the recognized student leadership. He said the university management was still in talks with the SUG regarding the proposed review of school fees and had not concluded discussions.

“They are not part of the student union leadership. The SUG is not involved in what they are doing,” he stated. “We’ve had five meetings with the student leaders, and we’ve not concluded. During our last meeting, someone got hold of a draft document and posted it online as the approved school charges, which is not true.”

According to him, the management had suspended further discussions until after the ongoing examinations. “We decided to suspend discussions until after the examinations this week. Next week, we will resume negotiations,” he said.

Prof. Agbalagba, who spoke from Abuja, said he was informed about the protest on Wednesday morning and wondered who the protesters were. “This morning, I heard they blocked the road. So, who are those people? The SUG has already issued a disclaimer. They are even faceless people,” he noted, adding that the management would soon release an official memo.

He also dismissed reports of a fee hike trending on social media as false and politically motivated. “Those things trending on social media are not from the university management. Some people may have pocketed some of the protesters. It’s all about politics to discredit me,” he added.

The Vice Chancellor explained that the university had been engaging the students through proper channels and that everyone involved was aware of the discussion stages. He maintained that the institution had not decided on the exact amount to be paid and that any information circulating online was misleading.

He urged students to remain calm, assuring that negotiations would continue in good faith once examinations were concluded. He also confirmed that the students would finish their exams on Thursday.

Prof. Agbalagba warned that the situation must be properly managed as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was expected to begin a strike next week. “If we don’t manage it properly till next week, we cannot guarantee stability. We are on it,” he said.