By Chris Steven, Abuja
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 24hour ultimatum to the management of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Delta State to make an unconditional reversal of the official tuition fee schedule for both new and old students of the institute.
Chinonso Obasi, President of NANS, in a statement decried the new tuition fee as officially released by the school management, describing it as anti/people.
Obasi said four years ago when he graduated from the same institute, his last tuition fee was N14,000 noting that it’s so embarrassing to see an official recommendation of about N81,000 and N91,000 respectively for old and new students.
“We understand that times are hard and the Nigerian economy isn’t stable, that notwithstanding, Nigerian students must not be used as a means of increasing internal generated revenue (IGR).” He said
He also pointed out that the act establishing PTI is exceptionally different from other conventional tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
While stressing that PTI is a special institution whose mandate is to train specialized technicians to meet up the global competition in the oil and gas industry, he said the overseas training claimed by the PTDF, Nigerian Government and TETFUND that they are sending Nigerians is supposed to be done at the institute.
“My administration hopes to partner with the PTI management to take advantage of the President Mohammadu Buhari anti-corruption strides to expose the level of abandoned projects, infrastructural decay, lack of adequate training of teachers and poor Funding of the institute, not wanting to feed fat on the harmless, helpless, marginalized and lawful Nigerian students,” Obasi said.
