Students at the Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology say they have confiscated car keys and lock their administrators out of the campus in a strike over tuition fee.

Last Thursday, the students blocked the Vice chancellor and his deputy, including the Finance administrator from the office premises.

They were demanding for reduction of fees, saying some new charges announced by the University were very high.
The students said they are required to pay around 7,000 pounds from the initial 2000 in tuition fee.

Speaking to Eye Radio, the students’ leader, Machar Lual says their plea was not considered since last and they have now decided to lock out the university administrators from the campus and took their car keys.

“This leadership has violated the presidential order issued by the president that all university fees that were raised by the Universities should all be reviewed,” Mr Machar told Eye Radio.

“Actually the other four universities complied by the presidential order but this university refused … that’s why we demonstrated against them. We lock them out from their offices, we detained their cars. So they are out from the campus until are issues are resolved,” he said.

In response, the university Vice Chancellor, Dr. Julia Akher confirmed they were locked out of the university premises by the rioting students.

But she denied the claims by the students, saying they are charging the students using the old fee structure.

“The tuition fee is as it was set by the president. There was no increase on the fees,” Dr. Akher told Eye Radio.

“When they got frustrated, there was no answer coming [right] away. They ended up taking my key. Key of my deputy and locked us out of office and they also took the cars keys,” she said.

Dr. Akher has called for an end to the strike, but students say they want their demands to be met.