Ignoring Governor Ayade’s instructions, CRUTECH insists on ‘no fee, no exams’

On Thursday, the 22nd day of October 2020, Senator Ben Ayade announced that indigenous students of the state-owned Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) are exempted from the payment of school fees ‘immediately’, but a circular from the school asking students to pay their fees or miss sitting for their exams seem to add that to a catalogue of pronouncements the Governor made, but won’t be keeping.

Ayade, the visitor to the school who was seeking at the aftermath of the #endsars protest, said he feels and understands the suffering of Cross Riverians, and the move was to cushion the effect that the lockdown and covid-19 have brought to them.

His words; “I also hereby direct that all Cross Riverians who are students of CRUTECH should suspend the payment of school fees indefinitely.” he said.

But in circular no 315, with reference no. CRUTECH/REG/GC/VOLI/32/315 from the school’s registrar and addressed to the school’s community, the registrar instructed that  “all students who have not paid their school fees should commence payment from Friday, January 22, 2021.”

The circular further warns that “only students who have paid their fees and registered for the semester are considered bonafide students of the institution” and that the “no fee, no exam policy of the institution is still in full force.”

An Engineering student of the school who asked not to be named said he and some of his friends knew nothing would come out of the pronouncement by the Governor but yet hoped.

“I am a Cross Riverian. I know Ayade and his many promises, so this doesn’t surprise me a bit. I am only concerned for students who took him seriously and didn’t plan for this.” He said.