By Destiny Obinna
The Vice Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, and Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, have defended the recent increase in tuition fees at the state-owned university, insisting that the adjustment was carried out on the directive of the state government.
The duo made the clarification while appearing before the Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Education over a petition alleging an increase in school fees at PAAU and Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
The Commissioner for Education explained that the review was part of a government policy to harmonise tuition fees across state-owned universities, stressing that the decision was not taken independently by the institutions.
Jones disclosed that the state government had communicated the directive to PAAU as far back as 2024, but the university did not fully implement it at the time.
He said the current implementation was aimed at establishing a uniform fee structure across state-owned universities, adding that other institutions had already adopted the arrangement.
The commissioner explained that whenever government considered reviewing school fees, it usually constituted a committee to accommodate different interests, particularly in view of the administration’s free education policy.
Also defending the adjustment, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Usman, said his administration merely implemented the government’s directive and did not independently increase the fees.
He said his humble background had made him sympathetic to the financial challenges facing students and their parents, but maintained that he was obligated to operate within government policies and existing laws as head of the institution.
Usman further argued that tuition fees in Kogi State universities remained relatively lower than those charged by universities in neighbouring states, citing Edo, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun as examples where students studying Medicine and Law pay considerably higher fees.
The Vice Chancellor also highlighted the state government’s investment in sustaining medical education, recalling that the Medicine programme at PAAU collapsed in 2012, forcing affected students to transfer to Ebonyi and Kaduna states to complete their studies.
He said the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had since taken steps to address the challenges by providing structures to sustain medical training in two state-owned universities.
Appealing to students to take advantage of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Usman disclosed that 4,032 students of the university had been approved for the scheme, with N562 million cleared for payment.
He added that applications from another 600 students were being processed, while approved beneficiaries were also entitled to a monthly upkeep allowance of N20,000.
On the allegation involving Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, the Rector, Prof. Salihu Sanusi Avidime, said he was unaware of any petition alleging an increase in school fees, insisting that his administration had not increased tuition charges.
Rather, he disclosed that the institution had reduced accommodation fees following complaints by parents over accommodation challenges.
The Commissioner for Education supported the Rector’s position, describing the inclusion of the polytechnic in the petition as strange and frivolous.
The House Committee, chaired by Alhaji Idris Maikudi, however, cautioned individuals and groups against submitting petitions to the Assembly without making themselves available to defend their allegations.
The lawmakers said the practice amounted to a waste of legislative time and was unfair to institutions invited to respond to allegations that had not been substantiated.
The committee, which also had Hon. Bode Ogunmola, representing Ogori-Magongo, and Hon. Abu Jibril, representing Ajaokuta State Constituency, in attendance, nevertheless requested additional documents to enable it conduct a thorough examination of the matter.
It assured that the petition would be handled with due diligence and in accordance with legislative procedures in the interest of the institutions and students.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), Comrade Isiaka Amoto, and the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Adams Abdulrazaq, appealed to the lawmakers to prevail on Governor Ododo to reconsider the fee increase.
They urged the governor to approve a slight reduction in the charges to ease the financial burden on students and their parents.
