The free education mantra, which brought the Rochas Okorocha administration into power, may have hit a brickwall, following the reintroduction of various fees and levies in Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri.
This was one of the findings of journalists, who went to IMSU on a facility tour of the institution, as part of the activities to mark the 2016 Press Week of the Imo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ.
Acting Vice Chancellor, VC, of IMSU, Professor Adaobi Obasi, who spoke through the Registrar, Professor Emeka Ejinkonye, confirmed that students of Imo origin now pay a token for certain services in the school.
“Students of Imo origin only pay N19,500 as auxiliary fees for medicals, identity card and others. This amount is paid from the second to the final year in the school,” the VC said.
She equally disclosed that upon completion of studies, “a student of Imo origin is expected to pay completion and certification levy of N20,000 and N7,700 for project binding.”
The VC confirmed that non-indigenes in the Faculty of Law pay N180,000, while those studying Medicine and Surgery pay N190,000 and others pay N150,000.
In an apparent move to explain the rationale for the reintroduction of fees in the institution, the VC recalled that when Governor Rochas Okorocha emerged as Imo State Governor in 2011, he declared free education for all before it was later restricted to indigenes of Imo State, due to economic downturn.
Answering a question on the non-accreditation of some courses in IMSU, Obasi assured people seeking admission into the school that the issue would soon become history.
“We lost accreditation in six courses, but soon and very soon, we will have full accreditation for Law and others”, the VC said.
