Management at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has said there is no going back on its ‘no school fees, no exams’ policy.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, said this at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Monday, before the 34th of the university.the Call scheduled from December 8, 2022 to December 10, 2022.
Prof. Okogbule said that while it was a difficult decision to make, the policy was already bearing positive fruit to the delight of management.
He said: “It is necessary to mention here that the no school fees, no exam policy has paid off handsomely. We were in a very sad situation where some students who are at the 300 level had not paid any fees and therefore did not have license plate numbers.
“They were writing their names on pieces of paper during exams. That is clearly unacceptable for us as a university. That is why we insist that students have to pay their fees,” he said.
However, the VC said management had extended the window to allow more students to pay their school fees before the policy went into effect.
According to Okogbule, “From this exercise (no dues, no exam), more than 3,000 who otherwise would not have paid their dues have now done so.
“Three local government areas eventually came to the rescue of some of their students, particularly seniors. We have as agreed special exams scheduled for those who paid their fees later. That exam will be carried out as of Monday, December 12, 2022. So, the policy continues.”
It revealed that a total of 4,982 students would be called up, with 56 students earning first-class honours, 821 pocketing in the upper second-class division, while 1,877 in the lower second-class division.
The other statistics released by the VC showed that 524 students made third class, 36 with pass division, bringing the first grade total to 3,314.
In the postgraduate category. Professor Okogbule said: “508 postgraduate diplomas in bags while 874 master’s degrees in bags respectively.”
Continuing, he said that the highlight of this year’s convocation would be the awarding of the honorary Doctor of Laws degree to two distinguished sons of Rivers State, namely His Excellency, Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State and visitor to the college.
“Also, Brother Judge Iche Ndu, Pro-Chancellor and President of the Governing Council. These people have contributed immensely to the transformation of this university in the last seven years.”
Okogbule further said that the call would be preceded by a lecture to be given by the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Joseph Ajienka, on Thursday, December 8, 2022.
“The theme of the conference is ‘Nigerian Universities and Leadership Value Proposition: Having Graduates Worthy in Character and Learning’.
He said that the university has been carrying out its main task of producing a high-level workforce to meet the aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta and to respond to the unique environmental challenges of the region and Nigeria as a whole.