By: Muheeb Mashood
One fact I hate about myself is that I often find myself in situations where oppression is being aided by the victims, because we fail to resist torments as we easily succumb to mopes. Too often, our grievances culminate in mere shouting.
As the new academic session approaches, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has surprised its students with a daunting freak–a twenty percent increment in school fees.
The students have not recovered from their wounds inflicted in the prior academic session when UDUS hiked the tuition fees by over fifty percent– a trend not uncommon among public universities in Nigeria.
This increase followed the federal government granting autonomy to the universities, a response to the stifling eight-month industrial strike by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), only resolved by a court order mandating their return to lecturing.
The new development was not justified by the school management because the varsity failed to provide a press statement, explaining the necessity behind the fee hike.
A typical examination of the subsequent press release by the Students’ Union Caretaker Committee of the university, pleading to the school management to reconsider its decision, signifies that the university independently resorted to the decision, without any representation of students’ interests.
Considering the economic hardships prevailing in the country, the hike has left many students with uncertain futures, placing financial pressure on the students and their sponsors.
While the school may have a convincing justification for their decisions, it is also important to balance the two sides of the coin, by considering the devastating effects this may bring to many students.
I believe the university may face challenges if every student opts not to pay the increased fees. In doing so, our beloved institution should grasp our concern by emphasizing with our circumstances.