Students of Plateau State Polytechnic yesterday staged a peaceful protest, blocking the main gate of the Jos and Barkin Ladi campuses to demand the refund of the JAMB regularisation fees they earlier paid to the institution.
Comrade Rentu Longkat, the Aluta Adviser of the polytechnic, told journalists the issues that warranted the protest included the students’ N5, 500 for the JAMB regularization. “We also have issues of dilapidated hostels and lack of access to our ICT centre and excursions. Lack of access road to the Jos campus gate and the security of our students,” he added.
Longkat who said he was representing the congress of the polytechnic, added, “When we came into the school, they told us we had to pay for the JAMB regularisation before being screened and given the admission letters. After we paid the N5, 500 and after one year, our regularisation numbers have not been given to us and when we asked, they told us that the board had increased the fee to N11,500. We agreed to pay an extra N6, 000 but the management insisted that we must pay a full fee of N11, 500 following which they will refund our N5, 500 later, but up till now, our money has not been refunded.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Dokotri Emmanuel told our correspondent that the delay in refunding the JAMB regularisation fee was due to change in policy by JAMB. He said although the board was yet to refund the money to the institution, the management had agreed to source the money to pay the students.
