Rotimi Agboluaje, Ibadan
An education right group, Education Rights Campaign, (ERC) has called for reversal of hiked fees and other charges at the University of Jos (Unijos),describing it as anti-power and exploitative .
In a statement made available to newsmen by the National Coordinator of the group, Hassan Taiwo Soweto,and its National Secretary, Ibukun Omole, the group called for proper funding of the institution by the Federal Government.
The group said it considered the fee hike insensitive, vexatious, anti-poor and clearly exploitative against the background of the economic hardship in the country,
The statement partly read, “we equally condemn the decision of the University of Jos management to force students to pay a N1, 000 levy for the rebuilding of a burnt library in the institution as an attempt to exploit students and dispossess them of their parents hard earned money.
“Recently, the Management of University of Jos led by Professor Seddi Sebastian Maimako hiked fees for returning students from N27, 400 to N45, 000. To rubberstamp this anti-poor increment, the UNIJOS management convened a kangaroo parents/guardians meeting at which students’ union representatives and genuine parents were prevented from speaking.
” Before now, fresh students in UNIJOS paid something between N71, 000 and N100, 000 while returning students paid N27, 400. Now to implement this policy, the UNIJOS management decided to reduce the outrageous fees of fresh students to N45, 000 while jerking up the fee of returning students to N45, 000 thereby effectively recouping whatever shortfall the University may have incurred as a result of the reduction made in fresh students’ fees.
“As far as we are concerned, the responsibility to fund public education is that of the government. As the custodian of Nigeria’s resources and wealth, it is the government’s responsibility to make available the funds necessary to ensure that all people of school-going age are able to attend standard and quality public schools so that they can in turn contribute the knowledge and skills acquired towards the country’s development and progress. The actions of the Prof. Maimako-led University of Jos management are an attempt to pass this responsibility to parents”.
It continued: ”As we write, the N45, 000 fee hike is being imposed on hapless students in a despotic and violent manner despite the public opposition already expressed by the students union and even some staff unions. A climate of fear and terror now envelopes the campus as Prof. Maimako and his minions are on the prowl to intimidate and victimize anyone that criticizes the hiked fee in any way.
“In fact for speaking up against the hike, the UNIJOS management dissolved the Students Union and replaced it with a Caretaker committee – an affront on the right to independent unionism.
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