The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has denied allegations of charging a clearance fee of N649,400 for final-year students, calling the report misleading and inaccurate.
Dr. Sam Kpenu, Head of Information, Publications, and Public Relations at UNIPORT, addressed the issue in a statement titled “Rebuttal to False Report on Clearance Fees for Final-Year Students,” released on Wednesday in Port Harcourt. Kpenu emphasized that UNIPORT has some of the lowest tuition fees among federal universities in Nigeria and provides scholarships to assist students facing financial difficulties.
Kpenu clarified that the university offers extended deadlines for fee payments to help students manage their finances and dismissed claims of ‘medical clearance’ or ‘admissibility fees’ as false.
The statement read, “The University of Port Harcourt’s authorities have been made aware of an online report by Sahara Reporters suggesting that final-year students must pay N649,400 as clearance fees. We categorically state that this information is entirely false.”
“UNIPORT is committed to delivering affordable and accessible higher education. We offer some of the lowest tuition fees among federal universities in Nigeria, along with scholarships for students facing financial hardships.”
“Additionally, we extend fee payment deadlines to give students sufficient time to arrange their finances.”
“We urge students and the public to rely on official communications from the University of Port Harcourt for accurate information regarding fees and financial matters.”
“The report by Sahara Reporters is completely false and misleading. There is no such thing as medical clearance or admissibility fees, as alleged in the fake report. We encourage the media to verify their stories before publication.”
