‘Let the poor breathe’ — UNN pharmacy students protest hike in fees

Students of the department of pharmacy at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) protested what they described as indiscriminate fees charged in their department by the university authority.

The students, on Friday, carried placards with inscriptions depicting their grievances and marched around the campus.

One student told journalists that “exorbitant fees” are being charged by the authorities in their faculty.

“Today, Friday 23 June, we the Pharmacy students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), are holding a protest within the school campus against the indiscriminate fees charged by our faculty,” the student said.

“We are complaining about paying a 20,000 development levy on the faculty, as well as faculty and department dues again. These payments are done yearly.

“We are also protesting against the high cost of practical manuals (materials) which we have been mandated to buy. These materials run into thousands every semester.

“We want some consideration and moderation in the amounts we spend on fees and manuals and materials in the department and calling on the authorities concern to allow the poor to breathe.”

In a similar protest that broke out on the UNN campus in December 2022, aggrieved students lamented that the university upped fees payable by final-year undergrads from the N40,000 paid in the previous session to N83,000.

As of the filing of this report, Okwun Umeaku, the university’s PRO, is yet to publicly comment on the matter.