By Caleb Ijioma
On September 9, students of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, woke up to the hike in their tuition fees. In this report by Caleb Ijioma, students of the institution expressed their displeasure, fear and how the hike in their tuition fee can disrupt their academic pursuit.
Students of Katsina State-owned institution, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University have expressed their displeasure over the increase in their tuition fee.
EDUTORIAL gathered that on September 9, students noticed an increase in their tuition fees when they accessed their individual portal. The tuition fee for indigene students was increased from #33800 to #39375 and #67800 to #99,950 for non-indigenes students.
Students react, clamor for a reduction
This has been a major concern for students of the institution as they clamor for a reduction in the tuition fee, especially for non-indigenes students.
Anthony Grace, a 200 level student of the English department said she feels sad and the management should be more considerate.
“I feel so sad about it and moreover the gap between indigenes and non-indigenes is too much, at least they should be more considerate. Making pay times three of what the indigenes are paying is too much.”
Husseina Isiaka, a 200 level student of French said he’s feeling sorry for his friend who might not continue his academic pursuit because of the tuition fee hike.
“Well I really felt very bad about it even though ours as indigene isn’t much but I’m really feeling bad for my friends that are non-indigenes I feeling their pain like I have a very close friend who has little or no money he’s only trying very hard to study and now that they hiked the tuition fees, I’m really feeling bad for him cause I’m very sure he’s not resuming with us if there is no any miracle that’s going to happen.”
The news of the tuition fee hike isn’t an interesting one, I feel sad, Muhammed Ibrahim, a 200 level student of Chemistry Education said.
“Absolutely, I feel bad about the increase in the tuition fee because of the situation of the country, the economy is bad. People are feeling the heat, it is not interesting to hike tuition fee.”
They don’t give us quality education, we are just managing because there’s no alternative, Maimuna Ibrahim, a 200 level student of English said.
“Well as I saw the increment of the school fees I was astounded, it was too much, they actually added a whopping 30k to the fees, while the indigenes have to pay a very low price and most of them are the ones not caring about their studies, so I felt awful, and still with the complaint been made they reduced just 5 thousand. How audacious, it’s not as if they give us quality education, were just managing because there’s no alternative.”
A 300 level student of English, Ibrahim Nureedeen told our reporter that the hike affects non-indigene students more.
“We feel so pathetic about the sudden and enormous increase in our school fees. We couldn’t believe school management could do this to us in this trying time. The increase greatly affects non- indigene students.”
Muhammad Fatima, a 100 level student at the department of English said she’s an orphan and she cannot continue schooling because of the increase.
“Honestly I felt bad as an orphan without a dad struggling in favour market to even pay before I now heard about the increase. Portal will be closed 2nd of October and I’m yet to pay, we hardly get food twice a day to eat and I have siblings still schooling and I don’t think I can still continue. My sister has resume school but she doesn’t have reading materials let alone school fees.”
Peace Osaige, a 300 Level student of English accused the management of being nepotistic in nature.
“Honestly, I don’t feel happy about it. I’m even yet to get over the increase. I think the school can do better. This is nepotism, why are the non-indigenes affected more.
“The hostels are unkept, bushy and smelling yet we are costed. The Medical facility always provides paracetamol to every sickness because they are always out of drugs.”
There is a coursemate that even wants to drop out because of the increment, Fauziyah Abdulganiyu, a 200 level student of English and French told this reporter,
“I feel bad because my parent will actually be looking forward to my school fees reducing and they would have budgeted for this my new level tuition fee but the boom it actually didn’t decrease it increased, especially the non-indigenes studying in Katsina. There is this my course mate that even wants to drop out because of the increment.”
National Association of University students reacts
A national Ex Officio, Imran Abdullahi who spoke to our reporter on behalf of the National President, said that the association has met with the Vice-chancellor of the university and has equally expressed their displeasure in the sudden hike in tuition fee.
“We have met with the Vice-Chancellor of the University and also with the Dean Students affairs. We complain about the sudden increment despite the economic crisis that we are facing in the country.”
Imran quoted the Vice-Chancellor to have said the hike in tuition fee is a result of the present economic situation, high cost of living, and the running of the university.
“In his response, he said the increment is not that much and it is just for some minor things that we are paying like money for utilities, examination fee and others, just one thousand naira are added to each and this is because everything is costly in the nation and we can’t run a university without money.”
“Katsina State is one of the states that students are paying less for education in the country. If you want to help us you go out and tell the student why the sudden increment, we have children also who are students in various university in the nation, just recently I paid up to seven hundred thousand naira for two of my children studying in Kaduna state university as non-indigenes of the state. Here in Umaru Musa Yara’Dua University, non-indigenes are paying no more than one hundred thousand while the indigene is paying forty thousand.”
Imran further said that the association has pleaded with the Vice-Chancellor for the reduction of the tuition fee.
“We pleaded with him that we want the money to be reduced because some of the students are to pay more than forty thousand as you said, he said maybe it is a technical problem but he promised that the portal will be down for correction.”
All efforts to speak to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sanusi was abortive, his number was unreachable. This reporter however contacted the Dean of students affairs, Dr Rumah, who then directed this reporter to the University Public Relations officer who refused to respond to messages despite multiple attempts made by this reporter to speak to him.
This reporter still made further attempts to speak to the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Rumah, who said he is in no position to speak on the said issue.
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