On Tuesday, thousands of students of the University of Jos (UniJos) held a peaceful protest against a 300 per cent increase in its tuition fees.
Gistmania reports that the students who held the demonstration within the environment of the institution said they were protesting the recent rise in tuition and other services provided by the institution as they blocked the highways leading to the university.
According to them, the new school fees chat signed by the university’s registrar, Dr Rejoice James Songden, states that the 100 and 200-level students would now pay N213,000, while the 300-level students and beyond would now pay N160,000.
Later, the amounts were revised to 110,000 and 140,000. Many pupils, however, were unable to pay. So, in order to express their displeasure, they blocked the school gate.
According to a letter from the Student Union Government (SUG) signed by Hon. Yisa Victor Baba, the SUG is in talks with UniJos management about further reducing the cost of tuition.
The students also ignored the letter from the SUG president as they came out in their large numbers to protest the hike in school fees.
Some of the students were seen carrying placards with inscriptions which read: “We do not want to drop out of school, UNIJOS review School fees downward” among other demands.
It was further gathered that the university had in 2017 under the leadership of Prof. Sabastine Mamaiko increased school fees to N45,000 from N27,000.
The institution’s Vice Chancellor, then, Professor Sabastian Maimako, had cited the dwindling budgetary allocations, rising bills and the need to upgrade some materials.
Maimako said the figure was endorsed by parents, old students and other stakeholders at a meeting in Jos, where all factors were considered.
It was not ascertained if the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya, had the same agreement with the Students Union Government, parents and stakeholders before arriving at this humongous and outrageous school fee hike.
UniJos increment came a week after the University of Lagos (UniLAG) announced the increment prompting parents and Nigerians in general to kick against the astronomical increase of school fees by universities in the country.
The Take-It-Back movement had described the current trend of fee hikes by many universities in the country as a “neoliberal agenda” of the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government while millions of Nigerians are in abject poverty.
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