ASUU

STUDENTS FAULT FEE HIKE IN VARSITIES, DEMAND REVIEW

Published

2 years ago

December 27, 2022

The National Association of Nigerian Students has faulted the recent decisions of some federal universities to increase registration and tuition fees for students.

The association has therefore set up a committee saddled with the responsibility of negotiating with the authorities of the affected universities on behalf of the students.

The association’s South West Coordinator, Emmanuel Olatunji, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.

“A committee has been set up across all the six zones in which coordinators of the zones are to work with the Secretary-General.

“The committees are to write to all schools in their zones to negotiate with them on behalf of the NANS President,” Olatunji said.

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, when contacted did not respond to inquiries by our correspondent at the time of filing this report.

Speaking with our correspondent, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Uyo, Prof Ini Uko, said it was time for parents and students to face the Federal Government over the funding of tertiary education.

Also, the Programme Director of Reform Education Nigeria, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, wondered how parents who receive a minimum wage of N30, 000 are expected to cope with the hike in fees.

Oluwatoyin said, “This is a very difficult matter to judge. However, with the rising inflation, it is going to be hard for parents to start paying huge amounts of money for fees.

“The minimum wage is N30, 000; how do they expect parents to cope with over N250, 000 per session? The government of Nigeria has failed over time to invest fully in the sustenance of tertiary education. It is unfair that with the poor minimum wage, parents still have to struggle to pay. However, you also cannot fault the universities, they need to sustain themselves. The government needs to wake up to its responsibilities.”

Some of the universities that have announced a hike in fees include the Federal University, Dutse which recently announced a 200 per cent hike in fees.

The management ‌of the University of Maiduguri also announced an increment in fees and attributed the decision to rising inflation in the country.

The Federal University, Lafia in Nasarawa State also increased registration fees of students to as high as N150, 000 for some programmes.

University of Uyo also announced an increment with both new and returning students expected to pay over N100, 000 as against the N50, 000 old fees.

The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, also said it revised the charges payable by students due to the escalating cost of providing services to students.

Related Topics:ASUU Federal Government NANS UNIVERSITY NEWS

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ASUU

NLC, TUC, ASUU, Others Defy Court Order As They Begin Strike

Published

1 year ago

November 14, 2023

Pamilerin Fedpolygist

The NLC had on Monday announced the commencement of the industrial action from midnight of Monday, 13 November, in defiance to a restraining order issued by the National Industrial Court in Abuja on Friday.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and its affiliates including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Tuesday, began a nationwide strike, in defiance to a restraining court order barring them from embarking on the industrial action.

The two major labour unions, NLC and TUC, had declared the strike, following the brutalisation of the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, in Imo State on 1 November. Mr Ajaero was attacked in Owerri, the state capital, during an NLC protest against the Imo State government over alleged maltreatment of workers in the state.

The unions on Monday directed their members to down tools across the country as from Tuesday.

This is despite the restraining order issued by the National Industrial Court, in Abuja, on Friday, stopping the labour unions from embarking on the strike. The judge, Benedict Kanyip, ordered the two major labour unions to stop their industrial action scheduled to commence 14 November.

The interim order followed an ex-parte request by the Nigerian government through the office of Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, due to the Labour unions’ threat to embark on strike.

Ignoring the court order, ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, a professor of soil science, on Monday, directed compliance with the strike declaration in a letter to ASUU zonal coordinators and branch chairpersons across the country.

“As an affiliate of NLC, all members of our union are hereby directed to join this action of NLC to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and the leadership of the union. Zonal coordinators and branch chairpersons should immediately mobilise our members to participate in the action,” ASUU President, Mr Osodeke, wrote in a letter to zonal and branch chairpersons of the union.

When PREMIUM TIMES asked Mr Osodeke if he was aware of the subsisting court order stopping the strike, he said the question should be directed to the NLC which called for the strike.

“Call the NLC, ASUU did not declare a strike, NLC declared the strike. Call NLC,” he said in a telephone interview on Tuesday morning.

But the NLC’s head of information, Benson Upah, did not respond to phone calls and messages sent to his line requesting for comments, as of the time of filing this report.

The labour unions had, on Monday, refused to acknowledge the court order while directing their members to withdraw their services as from Tuesday.

The post NLC, TUC, ASUU, Others Defy Court Order As They Begin Strike appeared first on Jomog.