Okolo: Vice Chancellor of Commotion

Subject Matter: KlinReports is calling on the authorities to, before re-opening shut down University of Nigeria, quickly remove Professor Bartholomew Okolo as its Vice Chancellor; otherwise, Okolo, if allowed to continue on the saddle, will cause more havoc in the historical ‘Lion’s Den‘.

When Professor Okolo got appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) seven months ago, little did people know that he was on a mission to destroy the citadel-of-learning. (Photographs show VC Okolo, Vandalized vehicles in the university and the protesting students)

Okolo’s management, recently, hiked tuition fees in the Nigeria’s premier institution. The hike was to the tune of over 300 percent, and, understandably, the students went berserk, violently protesting the anomaly for two days-Saturday, January 16 and Monday, January 18 this year.

The rampaging students, in their rage, vandalized the Vice-Chancellor‘s residence, the Pro-Chancellor’s Lodge, 22 cars and buses, as well as the university’s Senior Staff Club among others.

The Saturday protests preceded the making of a mock coffin and mock burial of Vice Chancellor Okolo by the students. The students protests extended to the Enugu/Benue highway where they interred Okolo‘s mock coffin.

It was learnt that the university’s students union leaders had, on January 12, met with the VC, begging him not to increase the fees. But their pleas fell on deaf ears..

KlinReports gathered that the crisis began in the two campuses of the institution on January 15 (Friday) when Okolo’s management posted notice of the fees hike and other charges on the university website.

Fresh students were asked to pay N25,000.00 acceptance fee as opposed to the N6000.00 hitherto paid. Incredibly, students who had earlier paid N30,000.00 as school fees for the current session, are to pay an additional N50,000.00. This then brings the total fees to N80,000.00.

Hostel charges are, also, increased from N9,000 to N35,000.00.

Incoming students are said to be worst hit- they bought shopping or advert forms at a cost of N10,000.00 each. Those admitted paid acceptance fee of N25,000.00, as opposed to the earlier N6,000. By this, incoming students will, henceforth, pay N120,000.00 as school fees.

The increase, also, involved graduating students who are to pay N40,000.00 instead of N4,000 paid as convocation fee during the past administration in the university. Okolo’s management, also, inexplicably imposed a levy of N60,000.00 on every student in the university’s secondary school.

Embattled VC Okolo denied that tuition fees were hiked in the university. Rather than addressing the issues at stake to the satisfaction of everybody, Okolo started passing the bulk, accusing some interest groups in the citadel-of-learning of instigating the students against his management.

It is highly unfortunate that VC Okolo’s tenure in UNN is bringing misery rather than succor to millions of Ndigbo and, indeed, Nigerians who crave for tertiary education.

It is notable that UNN is one of the few federal universities cited in Igboland where education is, before now, affordable to the not-too-rich. It is unfortunate that Professor Okolo, an Igboman, who, perhaps, acquired western education himself, either on communal effort or government scholarship, has turned himself into a willing tool to destroy one of Nigeria’s best universities.

KlinReports is of the view that no form of fees hike should be contemplated in UNN by any management. The present regime of fees is already too unbearable for poor parents and guardians to cope with.