Delta Poly Shuts Down Because of Fee Increase

Commercial and social activities were yesterday paralysed by students of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, following hike in their school fees.

The placard-carrying students with different inscriptions such as “Rector Reverse to old school fees, You can’t increase school fees on your own. You must return to the former school fees”, barricaded the ever busy Ozoro-Kwale-Asaba expressway, forcing commuters to be stranded.

Our correspondent learnt that the protest, which started around 12 noon and lasted several hours, saw policemen with code-name “Lion Squad” dispersing the students with teargas as well as shooting into the air.

Speaking with our correspondent on phone, one of the student union leaders, who refused to mention his name, said the students were protesting the sudden hike in school fees from N32,000 to N54,850 for both regular one and regular two students.

At the time of filing this report, it was gathered that chairman of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, Emmanuel Egbabor, was already meeting with selected leaders of the students’ union in the office of the rector, while the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the institution, Mr. B.A. Ekanem, declined comment on the protest.