Management of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu has accused students of the institution protesting against increase in fees of attempting to bring the institution to disrepute.
Last week, incoming students of the school protested the new regime of charges and other challenges they were facing.
In a press statement issued on behalf of the management by Mark Akunna Eze, he said the protesting students gave false information and distorted figures.
He said, "The attention of Management of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu has been drawn to the protest by the in-coming students on Friday, 13th May, 2022 and the subsequent video circulating on the internet where these students gave false information and distorted figures on the new regime of charges in the Institute thereby putting the Institute in disrepute against this background that the management has decided to react and state as follows that the school fees used to be ₦40,000 per student, per session of 12 calendar months.
"That the institute had no option than to increase the fees as it had done because of the increasing huge financial burden before it.
"That the increment was a decision jointly taken by all stakeholders in the Institute including the students and staff unions and the increment is applicable only to newly admitted students. That increment became necessary for the Institute to be able to meet the increasing financial responsibilities that would further lead to its progress.
"That the state government as the proprietor of the institute cannot all alone raise enough funds to sustain let alone improve the quality of services being delivered by the Institute that has earned it the second-best State Polytechnic in Nigeria.
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"That the Institute had maintained the old fees for many years and would not be able to cope again on its mandate of providing quality teaching and learning environment and by extension quality education to our students should it retain the old fees.
"That because of the restriction placed by JAMB, the Institute can only admit a limited number of students. Amongst others, this was the major reason why the Governing Council reviewed the fees payable to N80, 000 and later to N75, 000 after listening to the appeals made by both the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Institute's Student Union Government (SUG)."
He said the new school fees of N75,000 for the in-coming students only, had already been accepted by both NANS and SUG, adding that the current fees as approved by the council and management in consultation with the student union leaders is N75,000 only as against N200,000 claimed by the students.
He noted that the increment is inevitable and therefore should be seen as a necessary step to further consolidate the quality of education being offered by the Institute.
