KWARA GOVERNMENT FAILED PROMISES AND THE DILEMMA OF KWASU STUDENTS’. ================ This year just like the previous, students of the Kwara State University (KWASU) has again continued the agony and rot of tactical undue extortions. Narrow Observers from far and near have continued to criticize the management of the University under the leadership of Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’allah but they have actually failed to do their assignment thoroughly to find out the appropriate person(s) to point blaming fingers on. We would recall that in 2012, Governor Ahmed of Kwara state announced about 34% decrease on tuition fees of indigent students’ in Kwara State University, slashing their tuition fees from N150,000 to N99,500 effective from 2012/2013 academic session which is well appreciated by all and sundry as it brightens the hope of an average Kwaran to get higher education at a relatively affordable price. However, recent avaricious policies and programs designed in the university is worrisome and thought provoking. The university last academic session designed a well structured Professional Degree Programs (PDP) in some selected professional courses but the issue on it is the exorbitant fees applicable. Presently, the university authority have moved to acquire private commercial hostels on the hosting communities of the university and mandating all fresh (100Level) and final year students to live in these hostels. These hostel ranges between the price of N45,000 to N65,000 per head with four (4) persons in a room (i.e cumulative price of N180,000 and N260,000 per room respectively). Comparatively speaking, private commercial hostels handled by individual owners fall within the range of N50,000 to N100,000 per room, regardless of number of people sharing a room, this prices are fixed. By implication, it means the university management will make not less than N80,000 on each hostel room acquired by them for imposition on students. If the prices are lesser relative to the private individual’s, it may be assumed that the policy is at the favor of students but it’s obvious that the university will be making money at the detriment of the poor parents and the students when there are standard hostels that are more affordable. The unfortunate part of the story is the deadline (22/July/2014) and sanction threats by the university authority to deny students who do not pay the imposed fees before the deadline further registration, even when they don’t default in their tuition fees payment. When significant number of students deferred their admission last academic session because they couldn’t meet up with financial obligations to the school, another trap is yet designed to deter academic affairs of poor students. Why are they always at the receiving end? Equally, it was disheartening how departmental fees of some departments were routinely but exorbitantly inflated that some departmental fees are enough to pay University of Ilorin’s tuition fees. All in a bid to make money for the university to keep going. Kudos to Prof. Na’allah! I was of the view just like many others that Prof. Na’allah was not being fair to the students society, especially the poor ones. But it captured my reality that not the humble man, though has his flaws as human, that is inflicting unprecedented pain on the poor students’ but our dear state government. It got to my knowledge after series of investigations from reliable source that the subsidy of N50.000 on each indigent students’ in KWASU pledged by Kwara state government since 2012 which led to the decrease in their tuition fees are yet to be remitted to the University till now. Hence, the need to source for funds to keep the university going. This is the rationale behind the KWASU avaricious story. Not until the state government augment KWASU financially as promised, the undue tormenting and frustration of KWASU students continue. Let Governor Adulfatah Ahmed be aware, that should the students’ of Kwara state University suffer any academic setback from the exploitations emanating from His Excellency’s administrative empty promises, they will never forgive him. Kudos to Prof. Na’allah for his stewardship. Abu Ishiaq
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 15:56:27 +0000