By Kenechukwu Ofomah
The management of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University has denied allegations that students were compelled to pay a mandatory N15,000 “app fee.”
The allegation, which circulated on X, claimed the university introduced an app and forced students to pay for it, with defaulters expected to pay a higher fee later.
Reacting, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Harrison Madubueze, clarified that the payment is an ICT levy approved to support the university’s digitization process, not an app fee.
According to him, the levy followed an organizational review carried out after the Vice Chancellor, Kate Omenugha, assumed office in 2023 and discovered that most university operations were still manual.
Madubueze explained that the decision was reached after consultations with student leaders, including the Student Union Government, to improve processes such as result uploads, transcript applications, clearance procedures and admissions.
He said the digitization drive has already improved operations within the institution, including preparations for what he described as the university’s first digitally conducted SUG election.
The spokesperson added that the ICT levy is a one-time payment that covers students throughout their stay in the institution, insisting that reports describing it as an “app fee” were misleading.
Tags
COOU, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, ICT levy, Kate Omenugha, Harrison Madubueze, Anambra education, university digitization, SUG election, Nigeria universities, education news
