From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A group, with the name One Love Foundation, has given the Edo state government a 7-day ultimatum to rescind and abolish admission acceptance fees into all tertiary institutions in the state to encourage learning.
The group also threatened to seek redress in the court of law if the government fails to put an end to it.
This was contained in a press statement signed by its coordinator, Patrick Osagie Eholor and made available to newsmen in Benin.
The statement said they have been overwhelmed with the outcry of the poor masses whose academic pursuit have been truncated due to their inability to pay the sum of N60,000 as an acceptance fee before they could be admitted into the universities.
“The attention of our foundation, a duly registered, non profit, non governmental human rights organization, has been drawn to overwhelming protests and outcry from students, parents and the general public of Edo State in respect of draconian, arbitrary and financially unbearable admission acceptance fees which newly admitted students are compelled to pay by Edo State educational institutions.
“Investigations by our foundation indicate that these fees range between N40,000 to as much as N60,000 per student.
“These fees pose additional hardship and dire obstacles to the tertiary education aspiration of many well-meaning Edo youths and parents whose enthusiastic votes brought the present administration of His Excellency Godwin Obaseki to office as governor of Edo state.
It further accused the state government of being insensitive to the plight of the commoners adding that under this present administration, higher education has become the birthrights of the few rich in the state.
“That under the Obaseki administration, the draconian admission acceptance fees of your ministry, which were not paid by your generation and mine, has turned the rights of many ordinary Edo citizens to educate their children and wards into a harrowing day-dream, contrary to what obtains in other parts of the federation.
“That subsequently, under the Obaseki administration, only a very slim minority of Edo citizens who are either successful industrialists or privileged commissioners, government appointees, anointed contractors from outer space, treasury looters, fraud and politicians with deep pockets have the right to give higher education to their children”, the statement added.
The statement further appealed to the state government to rescind on and abolish admission acceptance fees in all tertiary institutions in the state or be prepared for legal action.
“Our foundation hereby stands with millions of Edo students, their parents and families to resist, engage, negotiate and reclaim the right of these future leaders to affordable and qualitative education by any means necessary.
“This we shall undertake especially through the instrumentality of the law if and wherever dialogue fails”, the statement said
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