ASUU Rejects N500k School Fee Proposal For Govt. Owned Universities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has reportedly rejected the proposed increment of school fees in Public universities by Dr Wale Babalakin, the negotiator between ASUU and Federal Government.

Babalakin reportedly proposed that public universities tuition fee be increased to N350,000 for undergraduate students of Arts and Humanities and 500,000 for those in Sciences.

Addressing Journalists, Prof. Lawan Abubakar, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator said the union has rejected the proposal by the Federal Government negotiator to increase tuition fee.

Abubakar said, 

“One of the major issues our union wishes to bring to public domain is the wild idea of sharing the cost of education between the government and parents proposed by Dr Wale Babalakin. This idea of sharing the cost of education since government alone cannot fund education, and that parents need to pay for it too.

“He proposed a minimum of N350, 000 as tuition fee for undergraduate students of Arts and Humanities, and N500,000, for those in Sciences.

“Our union rejected the proposal based on the fact that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly states that funding education is the sole responsibility of Governments at various levels.

The union also reportedly rejected the idea of Education Bank for undergraduates. The negotiating team were said to have also proposed a loan of N1 million for undergraduates, every session to pay the tuition fee and sustain themselves.

Abubakar said, '' our union also rejected the idea of Education Bank, because for one, not all the students will have access to loan, and for those who will access the loan, it is the same parents who served as sureties and subsequently pay back the loan, considering the very high rate of unemployment in the country.

“Supposing that the student is able to secure a job after graduation, he cannot start a life while paying back a loan of 4 to 6 million Naira, as the case may be.

“In this kind of situation, the graduate would be subjected to, when will he finish paying the loan and establish himself?

“Frustration will gradually set in and make them live a life of misery”