PUNCH
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, directed the authorities in all federal institutions of higher learning to avoid arbitrary increase in sundry fees payable and where possible defer further increase so that parents and students don’t face too much difficulty.
While the National Association of Nigerian Students welcome the directive, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, however, expressed reservations.
The President, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, also approved the provision of buses to the students’ bodies of all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
Alake said this was based on Tinubu’s “desire to see that students can access their campuses without much difficulty as a result of higher transportation costs.”
“In line with his promise to ensure no Nigerian student abandons his or her educational pursuits as a result of lack of money and economic circumstances of their parents, President Tinubu has also approved the removal of all restrictions on the students’ loan to make it available to any student or household that may desire it,” the statement read.
The directive comes barely five days after the Presidency insisted that federal universities remain tuition-free, despite the hike in miscellaneous fees in several universities nationwide.
