Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has ordered the management of the Abia State University to immediately cancel the purported increase in school fees announced by the university management on Monday, April 17, 2023.
The directive was contained in a statement issued by a media aide to the governor, Onyebuchi Ememanka, on Monday evening, April 17. The statement described the fee which was increased by over a 350% as "unacceptable" and ordered its immediate cancelation.
The governor noted that while it is becoming increasingly challenging for the university to play efficiently operate under the current fiscal regime, the school’s management must understand that it must ensure that children of the poor in the state are given the opportunity to access tertiary education.
The university management was also directed to engage with all relevant stakeholders in the community and have robust discussions before contemplating any hike in school fees. It further assured the school that the state government will continue to support them with subventions.