BREAKING THE SILENCE; INVESTIGATING NNAMDI AZIKWE UNIVERSITY’S SOCIETAL ISSUES
By Chiagozie Lilian Nwokoye, Awka
Some students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, have expressed worries over unending glitches they have encountered with the institution’s Management of Information and Communication Technology (MICT).
The app has been frustrating for some time as students struggled to pay various bills.
In interview with some student reporters, Charles Ijeoma, the current Student Union Government, SUG president, said he has sent out several memos on the ways to make the app work effectively but the school management is yet to respond to the needs of the students.
A 300-level student from the department of History and International Relations, who preferred anonymity, said, “the new development from the MICTU is beyond perplexing. We can’t generate invoices or make payments to get our books before the beginning of exams. Why make an app that they can’t maintain or control? And why are we supposed to pay the same amount of money we paid in 200 level again in 300 level. Isn’t it a Federal University anymore?, he queried”
Another 200 level student, Michael Igwe, from the department of Sociology, alleged that “they locked a website that was working perfectly fine for us students and made this cash bag of an app, so as to extort 2000 naira from us and its not even working. We’ve decided to pay and the app isn’t even functioning”.
Meanwhile, the Director of MICTU, recently assured that the app and everything in it will be up and functioning properly by June 30, 2023.
He urged the students to remain calm as they were working effortlessly to make sure the app works properly before their exams begins.
Many students of the institution have been lamenting the economic burden recent increase in tuition, acceptance fee among payments has placed on them.
This, coupled with the rising cost of living, has made it increasingly difficult for students from low income homes to cope with their academic journey.
The school management has been called out severally about the rising fees but nothing has been done about it.
Lately, a memo emanating from the SUG President stated that late registration of courses will attract a penalty of 25,000 naira.
This further heightened the tension and frustrations in the students over the huge implications of the payment app malfunctioning.
