TheCable

The Abia State University (ABSU) on Tuesday confirmed a 20 per cent reduction in its school fees, beginning from 2014/2015 academic session.

An increase in the tuition fees in 2012/2013 session had put pitched the university authorities against the students.

The students staged peaceful demonstrations, saying the hike in the tuition fees was government’s attempt to deny them their right to education.

While a student of Mass Communication paid N130,000 per session, law and medical students paid N140,000.

The students blamed low turnout of candidates for the university’s post-JAMB UTME test on the high fees.

Chidinma Eleri, a student, told NAN that many prospective students who could have chosen the university applied elsewhere because of the high fees.

Udo Nwokocha, dean of student affairs of the university, confirmed the fee reduction, saying it cut across all the faculties.

Isreal Ahamefula, president of the university’s student union, described the reduction as a right step in the right direction.

He thanked the state government for listening to the plight of the students by bringing down the fees.

“On behalf of the students, I thank the state government and the school authorities for the reducing the fees,” he said. “This has been a long-awaited welcome development.”