BEAST OF THE NATION BY HON AARON DIEPREYE

The current situation in Bayelsa State is really appalling. A state that is supposed to be a land flowing with milk and honey is now like a desert. Leaders are meant to serve the masses but the reverse is the case.

How can a man deny labourers their wages for three months and say it's "ONLY" three months? Has he not collected his salary for those three months?

Governor Henry Seriake Dickson is the first Bayelsa State governor to reduce the salaries of Civil Servants. Where's the money he claims he's been saving from the reduction of workers' salaries?

Students of the state university are at home and he doesn't give a damn about the situation. He expects Niger Delta University to be self sufficient...
1. Acceptance fee.... Year 1 only
2. Registration fee....#2000... All students
3. General maintenance.... #4000... All students
4. Examination fee.... #2000... All students
5. Equipment fee...#2000.... All students
6. Sport fee.... #1000... All students
7. Development fee.... #10000.... All students
8. Medical fee....#2000... All students
9. Identity card.... Year one alone
10. Library fee.... #1000... All students
11. Bench fee.... #4000... All students
12. Student hand book.... Year one alone
13. Medical examination.... Year one alone
14. Certificate verification.... Year one alone
15. Tuition fee....#20,000.... Non indigenes alone
16. Others.... ICT.... #1000

The foregoing are all charges for specific services; the reason why school fees cannot be used to pay salaries. A careful look at the above will expose that there are no charges for electricity which is constant in the school.

To know the amount for those services not attached with their charge, simply refer any 100 level receipt. Also, for accreditation the school pays an amount to NUC. The school paid #20,000,000 (twenty million naira) for the last accreditation. It is also important to note that accreditation is done annually (yearly).

The money available for the school to use from the school fee is the tuition fee paid by non indigenes.
A lecturer is entitled to two conferences to be sponsored by the university every year. And considering the foregoing it is impossible for this to be sponsored by the university.

Lecturers are also supposed to engage in research to update their knowledge, which would in turn be of immeasurable service to the students, and society in general.

It is also important to note that if the Niger Delta University is to be self sufficient, the fees would be alarming high.
As confirmed by ASUU, NDU Chapter on 24th May, four hundred and thirty two million naira is what the school receives from the state government monthly.

Therefore, five billion, one hundred and eighty four million naira is what would pay the staff of the school yearly. How then would students fare if fees are increased to get the amount mentioned above, to pay salaries alone? How about other aspects of development of the school like infrastructure?

One man cannot hold a state to ransom... Governor Dickson is not Hitler... This is not the 1930s or 40s.
Let's put fear aside and act like the rational beings that we are.