ENUGU GOVT DENIES REDUCTION OF SCHOOL FEES AT ESUT

By Tony Edike
ENUGU-Enugu State Government has dismissed as untrue, speculations that it reduced school fees for students of the Enugu State  University of Science and Technology, ESUT, explaining that what government did was to increase the budgetary allocation to the institution to take care of its basic needs.

The government said that fees payable in the institution remained unchanged, expressing regrets that the rumour regarding fee reduction had continued to rear its ugly head despite several explanations by government.

Commissioner of Education in the State, Dr. Simeon Otuanya, made the clarification in Enugu at the weekend during a media interaction between the Chief of Staff of Enugu State Government House, Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo and media correspondents in Enugu.

Otuanya explained that the state government only increased the budgetary allocation of ESUT by N500 million because of urgent need to have a modern ICT center in the institution.

He stated that government felt it was important to bring the ICT level in the university to a modern standard to enable students acquire modern skills.

He therefore reiterated that the additional fund was not provided to waive school fees for students, saying it was provided to help the school upgrade its ICT level.

The government, he said, made adequate consultations with the management of the institution on the latest development and expressed happiness that students have started paying their fees.

Responding to reporters' questions during the event, the Chief of Staff to Governor Sullivan Chime, Mrs Nwobodo, explained that the decision to introduce numbered aprons for commercial motorcycle operators in the state was informed by government's burning desire to contain crime in the state.

She explained that authorities could easily track down perpetrators of crimes that wore the numbered aprons than those without any identity.