By Abdulrazaq Kamaldeen
A middle man who has 3 children in different public universities sat in his comfort zone after he had arrived from the office, thinking on how to feed his family with the little penny he got from his work. Suddenly, one of his sons went to inform him about his school fee, and said, “Daddy, my school fee has increased from 41,000 to 62 000 Naira”.Having heard of the school fee, the father was stricken with wonder.“Where will I get it?” Father asked rhetorically.
The father told him that he has been making several money contributions in order for him and his brothers to secure a sound education and to make them exceptional. “ It is high you dropped out from school because I can’t afford it,” said father.
The 50% increment in school fees had plunged the father to make a swift and sympathetic decision to drop out his children from school as he is unable to bear the tuition payments.
This simply shows that the 50% increment in the Danfodites newly released tuition payments will cause a set back for many students that go the extra mile to take every necessary responsibility for themselves in their bid to pay school fees as they have no sponsor.
Even students with sponsors are clamoring as the increment in the school fees has sparked reaction between them and their sponsors.
Some are even grumbling over this increment, and willing to change their courses if possible, as they can’t afford the payments.
Education is now something students need to secure with unavailable cash In Nigeria. Students pay before they can access school WiFi in federal universities. The school clinic also is not free in federal universities.Not only that, in federal universities today, there is an additional fee for any late payment by students .
The system Nigerians were used to was free education and that is according to the 1999 constitution, but today, it is not put into practice.
Should we say the increment is due to the 8 months strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2022, for failure of the federal government to fulfill its demand? And will this increment put an end to the strike?