To cushion the effect of fee hike in public institutions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) chapter, has offered scholarships to 13 indigent students.

The scholarship was aimed at relieving parents of the financial burden of paying fees.

ASUU UNIPORT chairman, Chima Uzoma, said the scholarship award followed the increase in tuition fees by public universities as a result of inadequate government funding of the sub-sector.

Uzoma lamented that government funding of tertiary institutions has not fared better since the union suspended its eight months strike last year.

He said: “ In 2021, 12 students benefited, but last year, ASUU couldn’t go ahead with the initiative because of the eight-month strike embarked on by the union to protest poor funding of public universities. It is very sad to know that a year after suspending the industrial action, the Federal Government has refused to address the fundamental issues that led to the strike.”

He also explained that students were carefully handpicked for the awards, as those who failed to meet the 3.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) were dropped.

Commending ASUU for the initiative, the Vice Chancellor, Owunari Georgewill, said the union’s gesture has helped in cushioning the effect of the hike in school fees.

“When I heard that ASUU is offering scholarships to some students, I decided to come because they have lifted burdens off families. I know what it means, because as I speak, there are students who are writing exams but are yet to pay their fees, but I don’t want to use the policy of no school fees, no exams because I know how difficult things are at this period.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, a 300-level student of the Department of Chemical Engineering with a CGPA of 4.26, Adindu Odinakachi, assured that they would put in their best to ensure that the money invested in them does not go to waste.