By Evans Nwawuefe1
The Vice chancellor of the Abia State University Uturu, Prof. Uchenna Ikonne had said that the controversial fifteen thousand naira (15,000) Covid-19 prevention fee imposed by the school was caused the pressure to resume school and meet up with the guidelines set by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
According to the university don, the decision although has since been dropped was arrived after due consultation with the University’s Governing Council, the Student Union Government as well as officials of the Abia State government.
“The pressure to resume the school adminstration caused the announcement of the covid-19 prevention fee. Remember, we were about to write our examination for the first semester of the academic year when the pandemic started.
“There was a consultation from all angles and a collective agreement by all organisations concerned. Unfortunately, it was received like that. The council consulted very well before the announcement was made. I take responsibility for it. I am not shying away
from it”, Prof. Ikonne said.
He went further to assure the students and staff of the university that the university’s management was putting every modality in place to ensure that their lives are not at risk before asking them to return back to school.
In his words, “we are putting things in order. People are testing positive of the virus at the National Youths’ Service Corps (NYSC) camp and we can’t bring our students to school without putting things in order. We are working on bringing them back”, the Vice chancellor concluded.
Recall that the university had charged her students the sum of fifteen thousand naira for covid-19 prevention fee but had since being scrapped by the Gov. okezie Ikpeazu. This was done after widespread condemnation and outcry from members of the public.