Fear grips KASU students over tuition fee hike

Students of the Kaduna State University (KASU) have continued to hold peaceful protests over the school management’s refusal to reverse a 100 per cent hike in tuition fee.

Speaking with Arewa Trust, a 300-Level student who identified himself as Matthew, said if the management failed to reverse its new fees policy or at least reduce the tuition fee, he would have no option but to drop out of the school.

Matthew said, “Some parents have lost their jobs because the state government is laying off workers. So where will they start from? This is why we are pleading.”

Blessing Audu, a 200-Level student, said her parents could not afford the N100,000 fixed as tuition fee.

Miss Audu said, “If the school fee is left as it is now, then I may have to drop out of school, and if that happens, what will become of my future? This is not the promise this government made to us when we voted them. They promised us free education, and we are more than 100 in a class which should accommodate 50 people, but we are still managing it, and the state government just worsened the situation with the increase in tuition fee.”

According to a public affairs commentator, Shuaibu Idris Miqati, the school fee increment “at this time is unwarranted, ill-timed and ill-advised, particularly coming from a government that promised compulsory, qualitative, free at some levels, and affordable education.”

Miqati further said with the country suffering from economic recession, the state being ravaged by bandits, as well as sources of livelihoods, especially from farming badly affected by security challenges, coupled with the demolition of several markets, one would have expected that the state government would delay the impending increase in fees to a later date to assist parents; most of who either have fallen victims to the recent right sizing exercise, lost their businesses or have paid huge sums as ransom to kidnappers.”

He, however, said parents must augment government’s effort in funding education, and called for a gradual increase of the fees which he noted might be achieved over a period to ease the suffering of students and parents.