Auchi Poly: Group Clarifies Certificate Fee, Questions Report of Student Protest

The Centre for Peace, Transparency and Accountability (CPTA) has clarified that the certificate collection fee at Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, is N35,000, while the N10,000 brochure charge is optional, amid reports that graduating students were required to pay N50,000 to collect their certificates.

The organisation also questioned reports of an alleged protest by the graduating students over the charges, saying it had not seen verifiable evidence to substantiate the claim.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, CPTA executive director, Comrade Patrick Onomuodeke, said the organisation considered it necessary to address the reports to ensure that the public had access to accurate information.

He stressed that accountability must be pursued through fairness, transparency and evidence-based reporting.

“Our position is clear: accountability must be based on facts, not clickbait, and fairness must apply to all,” Onomuodeke said.

Providing a breakdown of the charges, CPTA said the information available to it indicated that the certificate costs N35,000 and the brochure N10,000, bringing the combined amount to N45,000 for graduates who choose to buy the brochure.

The organisation stressed that the brochure was optional and should not be presented as a compulsory requirement for graduates seeking to collect their certificates.

According to Onomuodeke, distinguishing between compulsory payments and optional purchases is essential to ensuring that graduates understand their financial obligations.

“The distinction between compulsory and optional payments is fundamental to understanding this issue,” he said.

He argued that reporting the combined charges without clearly explaining the breakdown could create a misleading impression of the actual cost of obtaining a certificate.

CPTA further stated that the information available to it indicated that payments were made into the institution’s designated central bank account rather than into an unauthorised personal or third-party account.

The organisation, however, urged the management of Auchi Polytechnic to ensure that its approved fee schedule was clearly communicated to graduating students, particularly regarding compulsory certificate charges and optional purchases.