Masters students protest against high fees

Some Masters students of the Yaounde I University Virtual University have complained about the high fee levied on them, without any official document, despite the fact that the courses are already being funded by the Government of India, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Yaounde I University.

In a letter dated October 14, the students selected at different Masters’ Programmes in MIT, MFM and MBA of the Pan-African e-Network project 2014-2016 batches, complained about the exorbitant fee of FCFA 400,000 they have been asked to pay as opposed to the University fee in Cameroon which is FCFA 50,000.

They hold that since September 2, 2014, they have received mails from the Virtual University Coordinators of Cameroon indicating that the fee for the Masters’ programmes is fixed at CFA 400,000.

They said they are surprised, because, since the programme was launched in 2010, the fee has been CFA 50,000.

“When the competitive exams were launched we were never informed that the fees would be raised to FCFA 400,000. It is very difficult for us to pay such an amount financed already by the African Union, the Government of India, the Amity and Madras Universities, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Higher Education of Cameroon.

“All efforts aimed at getting the Coordinator of the programme, Prof. Emmanuel Tonye to sign an official letter indicating the amount to be paid as fees (FCFA 400,000) has failed”, the letter reads.

The students note that for about a month, they have been sent out of class by the Coordinators in Cameroon. Frustrated by this, they wrote to one of the Coordinators in India, Dr. Manoj Sharma, to enquire on the fee for the programme.

In a reply to their mail, dated September 11, Dr. Sharma stated: “This is to inform you and update you that all programmes from Indian Universities are being offered free of cost to Africa, whatever is being charged is a local issue, kindly discuss with them as we have no role in it”.

Genesis Of Misunderstanding The last paragraphs of some communiqués dated May 15, 2014 (cf No 14-0519, 14-0520, 14-0521/UY1/VR-EPDTIC/COORD-EF-UVN), launching the competitive entrance examinations into the Master in Financial Management, Master in Business Administration and Master in ICT programmes clearly state that the programmes are financed by the Indian Government, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Yaounde University I.

The communiqués provide all details about the programmes, but the fees. A mail sent by Brad Harris Tchuigoua, dated September 2, 2014, written in French and English signed by the Coordinator, Pr. Emmanuel Tonye, reads verbatim: “The Rector of the University of Yaounde I annonce at the candidates admitted to the Professional Masters of Indian Universities: Business Administration (University of AMITY), Financial Management (University of MADRAS) in accordance with the requirements of the University Council, the University fees are set at four hundred thousand (400,000) CFA francs payable in two instalments.

“In account n0 11004000010, key 41: of United Bank of Africa ,UB. The first payment, will take place from 1 to 30 September 2014 and the second before the final exams of the first semester.”

Another mail by Brad Harris Tchuigoua of the Pan African Network, dated September 3, highlights that the FCFA 400,000 to be paid into the UBA account corresponds to the fee for University Rights for the first year of the Masters programme for 2014-2015.

A student of the Virtual University, Momoh Dero, remarked that the project was launched in 2010 and when it was launched, no fee was charged. In the second year, they were asked to pay FCFA 50,000 which was, in a way, given back to them as a grant from the President of the Republic.

“In the third year, we had a call for tender announcing the launching of the committee exams for the students, so we sent in our documents. We were granted admission from both Amity and Madras Universities. Two weeks to the beginning of classes, we received mails from Prof. Tonye and Brad Harris telling us to pay CFA 400,000 within those two weeks into a private account which we did not know.

“We were not ok with the communiqué, so we went to school to meet Prof. Tonye. We had a meeting with him, but all efforts to get him to put up an official letter with the fee to be paid failed. We wrote to the Rector, and he sent us back to Prof. Tonye. Both of them said we should take their word. We are conscious that administration is written and not spoken, so we can’t just pay that money like that. We have even written to the Minister of Higher Education, but no reply.”