…accuses them of exploitation, insensitivity
A major row has erupted at the University of Uyo as the Students’ Union, representing over 40,000 students, has accused the Vice Chancellor and his management team of gross insensitivity, financial exploitation, and deliberate disregard for student welfare.
In a strongly-worded statement signed by Comrade Ndueso Peter, the Students’ Union President, alongside other union leaders, the Union expressed outrage at the imposition of an additional ₦500 charge per course under the guise of a CBT examination fee—calling it an exploitative move lacking due process and student consultation.
“The persistent refusal to consult the Union—your voice and mandate—on matters affecting students, such as unjustified levies and inconsistent examination modalities, is highly unacceptable,” the Union declared.
According to the Union, over 7,000 students currently depend on financial aid from the Union and NELFUND just to remain enrolled. Despite this known hardship, the university management, under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, has imposed new charges on students—an action widely seen as heartless and predatory.
The Union emphasized that students already pay an official examination fee of ₦2,500 embedded within their tuition, and therefore, any further demand is not only illegal but a deliberate attempt to exploit students.
“We firmly reject any attempt to introduce extra examination-related charges without proper justification, consultation, or approval,” the statement reads.
Students have been instructed to disregard any directive from university authorities demanding payment of the ₦500 CBT fee. The Union assured the student body that it will resist all attempts to impose unapproved levies and will engage relevant authorities to halt the trend of exploitative governance under the current administration.
This latest development further deepens the rift between students and the university management, with many calling for accountability and a leadership rethink at the topmost level of the institution.
Observers say the embattled Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nyaudo U. Ndaeyo, and his team may soon face a storm of student protests and wider condemnation if they fail to reverse what the Union terms as “unjustified financial tyranny.”
