UNIBEN to Bar 5,000 Students from Exams Over Unpaid School Fees

No fewer than 5,000 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) risk being prevented from sitting for the second-semester examinations scheduled to begin on Monday due to non-payment of school charges.

In a memo signed by the Registrar, Mr. Ademola Bobola, the university reiterated its “no school fees, no examination” policy, stating that repeated reminders to defaulters had been ignored.

“The management has received the list of students who failed to pay their school charges despite several reminders. These students also refused to take advantage of the loan facility provided by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND),” the memo read.

Bobola explained that the university had made extensive efforts to encourage the affected students to either settle their charges or subscribe to NELFUND but with little success.

“With the second-semester exams starting on Monday, September 29, these students will be barred from writing if they do not comply,” he warned.

The Senate has directed provosts, deans, directors, and heads of departments to publish the names of all defaulters by 8 a.m. on Monday, giving them a final chance to confirm their status and make last-minute payments. An enforcement task force, headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), has also been set up to monitor strict compliance.

“Management expects full cooperation from all stakeholders to uphold the university’s standards,” Bobola added.

This development mirrors a similar policy at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, which earlier in April implemented a strict “no fees, no exam” rule. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi had warned students against misusing funds meant for school fees, particularly for gambling and other frivolous activities.