By joshua Unified Fee Review: PAAU VC, Education Commissioner Clarify Directive Before Kogi Assembly Committee
The Vice Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman and the Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones have clarified before the Kogi State House of Assembly that the recent review of school fees at the institution was a unified directive of the State Government for all state-owned universities.
The clarification was made when they appeared before the House Committee on Education chaired by Alhaji Idris Maikudi, with Hon. Bode Ogunmola representing Ogori-Magongo and Hon. Abu Jibril representing Ajaokuta State Constituency in attendance, following a petition over alleged increase in fees at Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba and Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
The Commissioner explained that fee review in the state is never done in isolation and that with the free education policy of the present administration, a committee is usually set up to accommodate various interests whenever a review becomes necessary. He disclosed that a letter for review was sent to Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba as far back as 2024 but was not fully implemented, adding that the current implementation is in line with a unified scheme for all state universities that has already been implemented in other universities.
On his part, Prof. Usman said what the University implemented is the directive of the state government, said his administration never increased fees, noting that his humble background naturally places him on the side of students and parents, but as an administrator he must stand on the side of the law. He explained that despite the unified review, what is charged in Kogi remains far less than what is charged in neighbouring state universities, citing examples from Ekiti, Ondo, Osun and Edo States where Medical and Law students pay significantly higher when asked by the Assembly members.
He also noted that the state government under Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has put in place structures for the sustainability of Medical Sciences, recalling that the Medical programme in PAAU crashed in 2012 leading to students being farmed out to Ebonyi and Kaduna States, a situation the current administration has corrected by running medical programmes in two state universities.
On the Polytechnic, the Rector, Prof. Salihu Sanusi Avidime said he was not privileged to any petition on fee increase, stressing that at no time did his administration increase fees, but rather following complaints by parents on accommodation challenges, the institution reduced the cost of accommodation, a position corroborated by the Commissioner who described the inclusion of the Polytechnic in the petition as strange and frivolous.
The Vice Chancellor further appealed to students to take advantage of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, disclosing that 4,032 students of the University have already been approved with N562 million approved for payment, while 600 new applications are being processed, with beneficiaries also receiving N20,000 monthly upkeep.
Meanwhile, the House Committee cautioned against persons who dump petitions on the House and fail to appear to defend them, noting that such practice wastes legislative time and is unfair to institutions invited on the strength of unverified claims.
The Assembly Committee however called for further documents as it begins a thorough scrutiny of the petition, assuring that it will do due diligence and follow due process in the interest of the institution and students.
In their separate remarks, Comr. Isiaka Amoto, National Chairman of NAKOSS and Adams Abdulrazaq, NANS President, pleaded with the Assembly members to join hands in appealing to Gov. Usman Ahmed Ododo to still look into the fee with a view to a slight reduction.
… More details shortly