Why we forced UNN students to pay N70,000 for laptops – Vice-Chancellor

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Professor Benjamin Chukwuma Ozulumba has explained that the institution was not out to extort money from students when it insisted that new students must acquire laptop computers from the school authority at a price of N70,000.

There were series of protests in the institution late last year over the policy of compulsory purchase of laptop, with allegations that the Vice Chancellor and his management team initiated the idea as a means of ripping off students.

But addressing the issues during one of the activities to mark UNN’s recent convocation ceremony, Ozulumba said the decision was one of the best initiatives introduced by his administration to improve on the quality of students by becoming Information Communication Technology, ICT, compliant from the beginning of their studies.

He maintained that the N70,000 which the students were compelled to pay for the computer is equivalent to a give­away price when compare to the fact that students at private universities compulsorily pay up to N110,000 to own similar laptop.

The Vice-Chancellor pointed out that the unique idea has enabled most of the students to have access to the internet on their own, instead of patronising commercial cyber cafes, which cost a lot of money.

Ozulumba added that the company from which the laptop systems were purchased has opened up servicing centres within UNN campus to fix whatever faults the gadgets may develop.