About 5,000 students of the University of Benin may be barred from sitting for the second-semester examinations, scheduled to begin on Monday, due to non-payment of school charges.

In a memo signed by the Registrar, Mr. Ademola Bobola, the university reaffirmed its strict enforcement of the “no payment of school charges, no examination” policy, stressing that several reminders had gone unheeded by defaulters.

“The university management has received the list of students who failed to settle their charges despite repeated notices. These students also did not take advantage of the student loan facility made available through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND),” the registrar said.

Bobola explained that all efforts to encourage the affected students to pay their fees or access the NELFUND loan had not yielded results.

“With examinations commencing on Monday, Sept. 29, these students will not be allowed to participate unless they pay their school charges or register for the NELFUND loan scheme,” he added.

He further noted that the Senate had instructed provosts, deans, directors, and heads of departments to publish the names of defaulters by 8 a.m. on Monday, enabling them to confirm their status and make last-minute payments before exams begin.

To ensure compliance, an enforcement task force led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) has been set up to monitor the process.

“Management expects full cooperation from all stakeholders to maintain the university’s high standards,” Bobola emphasized.

In a similar move earlier this year, the Rivers State University in Port Harcourt implemented a “no school fees, no exam” policy. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while addressing students ahead of the first-semester examinations, cautioned them against misusing funds provided for school fees on gambling or other activities that could jeopardize their academic progress.