25th November, 2014
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has abolished discriminatory school fees charged non-indegene students at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt.
At an interactive session with the students on Monday, the governor who is the Visitor of the university was told by the students that non-indigene students of the university were charged higher fees than the indigenes.
Visibly angry, the governor ordered the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barine Fakae to reverse the trend and make all students pay equal fees.
The governor reiterated that the phrase “non-indigene students” is offensive to him. He said he believes in citizenship, stressing that wherever a citizen of Nigeria finds himself within the geographical space called Nigeria he should be seen as being part of that community.
He told elated students that the pronouncement takes effect immediately. In fact, he charged the students to protest should the VC go contrary to the new directive.