Let Students Pay it – Lecturer backs FG plan to hike Students Tuition Fees
University Of Benin (UNIBEN), Faculty of Arts lecturer has backed FG’s plan to increase school fees to N750k Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Jos chapter, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, during the nationwide peaceful protest organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), alleged that the government was planning to hike tuition to N750,000 per student.
According to the lecturer who pleaded anonymity, ASUU has already tried it’s best for students. In his words:
“Let the students pay. We have fought for them for far too long. What have they done to support us?
The government blames ASUU for fighting for students. The consequences of this fight, among others include; nonpayment of our promotion allowance and other earned academic allowances.
Meanwhile, our salary has not been increased since 2009. Therefore, it is time to allow the government to run the school the best it can,”
However, education stakeholders across the country have rejected the alleged plan by the Federal Government.
Speaking in separate interviews with The Nation, the stakehoders said any hike in such fees would be suicidal given the situation of things in the country. Deputy National President, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, called on the Federal Government to drop such a move.
“Federal Government should not do such now with the increasing cost of commodities. It means the government wants to impoverish average parents, who cannot afford private universities; and parents striving to send their children to federal and state institutions.
“Federal Government should temper justice with mercy and refrain from doing that. Petrol price has just been increased, diesel price is also high. Prices of commodities have doubled.
“Be that as it may, Fed Govt would now propose a hike in tuition fees, that would be totally insensitive.
I believe President Muhammadu Buhari would not want such to happen,” Ogunbanjo said.
Kola Edokpayi, a major stakeholder in the education sector in Benin, Edo State, stated that the Federal Government proposing hike in tuition was an attempt to deny children of the to get quality education.
CREDIT: SUNNYGIST, The Nation.
