Parents reject UNIBEN late payment fee, ask Buhari to ‘call school management to order’

The National Parent Teacher Association has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the crisis at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), over the extra amount said to be charged for late payment of school fees.

Students had blocked the school gate on Tuesday, to protest over “N20,000 late payment fee”, said to have been imposed by the institution.

Following the development, the university management ordered the shutdown of its campus over concerns that the protest could be hijacked by hoodlums.

In a statement signed by Adeolu Ogunbanjo, deputy national president of the association, on Wednesday, the parents’ body said the additional N20,000 allegedly imposed by the school authority as fine for late payment came at a wrong time.

“It has come to our notice that a penalty fee of N20,000 is being charged by the University of Benin administration for late payment by parents,” the statement reads.

“It is quite unfortunate that such simulated charges are being enforced on parents for not paying school fees early enough.

“With the current situation in the country and globally, where COVID-19 pandemic and its variants are ravaging parents’ income, leading to loss of jobs, dwindling earnings and salary cuts, we expect the federal government and its institutions to be sympathetic to the current economic challenges imposed by COVID-19 pandemic.

“This action by the university is unfortunate, condemnable and totally unacceptable by Nigerian parents.

“We therefore use this medium to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari through the Minister of Education to call the University of Benin administration to order immediately.”