Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Apparently heeding the yearnings of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Management of all Federal Institutions of higher learning in the country, to halt any attempt to hike tuition and other sundry fees.
Tinubu who gave the directive on Monday, said it was aimed at mitigating the economic burden the fuel subsidy removal had imposed on parents and guardians.
The President also approved the provision of buses to the student bodies of all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake.
The statement was entitled: “FG ready to provide buses for higher education students, removes restrictions on students’ loans.”
The statement which acknowledged the increase in fees in federal institutions in the country, said that “these are ancillary fees and do not affect tuition.”
According to the statement, tuition remains free.
Tinubu, however, directed stoppage to further increases in the miscellaneous fees.
“This is based on President Tinubu’s desire to see that students can access their campuses without much difficulty as a result of higher transportation costs,” the statement said.
The statement further said that providing buses would remove the burden of the additional cost of daily commuting on parents and guardians.
It read in part: “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.”
It also disclosed that “the Federal Government is working to ensure that vulnerable students can also benefit from conditional cash transfers and food distribution, as part of the release of over 200,000 Metric Tonnes of grains to families in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”
Continuing it said: “Tinubu will continue to prioritise education and the needs of the students, improve the welfare of teaching and non-academic staff and invest in infrastructure to make our institutions of higher learning more globally competitive.”
