Swansea Varsity Reinstates Nigerian Disqualified for Alleged Late Fees Payment

Ugo Aliogo

Swansea University has apologised and reinstated Nigerian student stopped from continuing his course for paying fees ‘hours late’.

THISDAY gathered from ITV Wales website that the student known as Emmanuel Okohoboh, who was earlier thrown off his master degree course in 2023 and told to return home to Nigeria has also received an offer of compensation from the university.

The 26-year-old was one of three Nigerian students told in August last year how they had been removed from their studies after allegedly paying tuition fees hours late.

A banking crisis during Nigeria’s presidential election in February 2023 meant that many students from the country struggled to transfer the funds before the university’s March deadline.

However, Okohoboh maintained he paid his £4000 fee within the deadline and the decision to remove him from his business management degree was “unfair”.

The ruling by the university meant the master’s degree student faced the prospect of deportation after his student visa became void.

Following an internal investigation, which identified several failings in the university’s handling of Emmanuel’s case, Swansea University has now allowed Okohoboh to return to his studies.

A letter by the University of Swansea read in part: “We would also propose by way of settlement of Okohoboh’s complaint against Swansea University the following: That the previous decision to withdraw Emmanuel from his studies be overturned.

“And his studies will instead be suspended (as of the date of his last recorded attendance/engagement, namely 2 February 2023) and he will be permitted to re-enrol on his programme to restart the MSc Management (Digital Business) programme: in January 2024 as an internal candidate; or in September 2024 as an internal candidate.

“That the University will pay to Okohoboh the sum of £1,000 in recognition of the failings identified and for any related distress and inconvenience which these failings caused to Emmanuel. That this offer is to be accepted by Emmanuel in full and final settlement of this OIA complaint. This offer is to remain open for the duration of the OIA’s review of this complaint,” it stated.

The university said his record will be amended accordingly while Okohoboh will need to enrol in January 2024 or in September 2024 as required under the regulations and again pay 50 per cent of his tuition fees by the enrolment deadline.

“ In this regard, Okohoboh will need to contact the Income Office (if he has not already done so) to obtain a refund of the fees he previously paid to Swansea University or to request that they retain these payments as credit towards the January/September 2024 intake,” it said.

Okohoboh and other Nigerian students, who claimed they had been wrongfully removed from their studies, are being supported by Swansea charity Bame Mental Health Support.

The Executive Director, Bame Mental Health Support, Alfred Oyekoya MBE, said the compensation offer to Okohoboh from the university was not good enough, adding that organisation had to financially support Okohoboh after he was left using food banks and facing rent arrears.

Oyekoya added: “A thousand pounds for someone who was severely depressed, who had to rely on food banks for six months, who is in arrears to his landlord is not enough.

“What the university could have done is recognised his deposit as his full tuition payment, as he has had to start borrowing money again to pay his school fees. A thousand pounds compensation is not a true reflection on what should have been given to Okohoboh.”

On his part, Okohoboh said he was grateful to be allowed to return to his studies.

“I was honestly not happy about it. I’m grateful the university did their own internal investigation and found that the fault was not on my part, it was beyond my control and that there was nothing I could do about it. The university has now been able to reinstate me to continue my studies which I’m also grateful for.

“It was so depressing. I had a mental breakdown and I collapsed in my apartment due to the stress. I had to go to the hospital because of that. But I was motivated by my passion and drive for studying and I was never going to give up and for the six months I continued to study online courses. I always made sure there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I kept on pushing my career,” he said.