Education
should not be a money-making venture
By Oko Owi Ocho Afrika
From the inception of the All
Progressive Congress (APC) ascension to power, those with the proper orientation
will be able to immediately point out that the APC political party is the 'abiku'
counterpart of PDP. In a situation where the mindset of the elite is firmly
rooted in anti poor policies, it is certain that no matter the elements brought
into power, nothing whatsoever will change.
One of the evidence that proves
that the self-acclaimed elements of change in Benue State are no different from
all the 'execuTHIEVES' that have graced the Nigeria political scene from our
history is the fee hike at the Benue State University. How can a government that
cares for its citizens hike the school fee of its students at this crucial time
when the people barely have enough to feed their family? Benue State University
(BSU), outside from being a state institution, has imposed cumbersome fee on
students irrespective of the deplorable state of the institution. A school
where students learn or receive lectures through what they call 'lectures by
rumour' because of the cage the institution calls a lecture room and other
unsuitable-for-learning atmosphere of the institution ought not to even dream
of increasing its school fee. The hostels are kiosk-sized rooms where people
are packed like animals in zoo, smells more than anything and the state of the
water is a story for another day. Nothing is well in the school yet the
management in collaboration with the state government has laid ploys to further
exploit the poor masses by jerking up fees.
The Students and all working
class people of Benue state need to stand up and fight against this neo-liberal
policy. This is broad daylight extortion. How can a government increase a University’s
acceptance fee from five thousand five hundred naira (5,500) to twenty five
thousand naira (25,000) in a state where workers are not being paid their
salary as at when due?
It is on this note that the Education
Rights Campaign (ERC) condemns this exploitation of students. For a place as
backward as Benue, its government ought to do everything to encourage people to
go to school otherwise the future is very bleak. Firstly bursary that is being
paid to other students in other institutions is not being paid in Benue State University (BSU). In
addition, the amount of fees that indigenes and non-indigene students pay even
before the increment is alarming. This new increment has further made an
already bad situation worse. One thing the people of Benue state should be in
mind is that silence can only give this capitalist tutored elements to act is
if they are the alphas and omegas.
The ERC commend BSU students for
their recent protest against the hike. This protest must continue until the fee
increments are reversed and all other demands met. To avoid rotten compromises
and betrayals which often characterize students’ struggles, the mass of students
should insist that the Students Union leadership call frequent congresses. This
is to ensure that the rank and file students are carried along in the process
of negotiation with the authorities over the demands for reversal of hiked fees
as well as every other demands on issues of poor conditions of living,
teaching, learning and research. Above all, only initiatives from the rank and
file of students supported by radical organizations like the ERC can ensure
that the organizational and ideological weakness of the students’ movement is
overcome and struggle achieves its desired aim.
Our
Demand:
(1)
There should be an immediate reversal of the fee hike;
the students should be made to even pay less than they are paying now. As we
all know, irrespective of the huge payment, that generates internal revenue for
the state, lecturers are not being paid well, the institution cannot boast of any
standard of any kind.
(2)
For increase in funding to education in Benue State
to 26 percent as the first step in achieving adequate funding of public
education and democratic-running of schools.
(3)
More lecture halls are needed. The
'lecture-by-rumour' style is not appropriate as, it does not provide room for real
learning.
(4)
The Students’ Union should embark on sensitization
of students and even youths around on the affairs of the state. It is the role
of the students’ union to create a level of consciousness.
(5)
The institution should make available conducive
environment for learning. The hostel should be allowed to be spacious and fewer
people in a single room.
(6)
The Students Union and NUBESS (National Union of
Benue State Students) should carry out a massive movement against exploitation.
(7)
For things to flow appropriately, the lecturers must
be paid their salaries in full. And must as well, be paid at the proper time.
If those in government are not being owed and collect allowances like sitting
allowance, talking allowances (who knows if they are collecting sleeping
allowances) then why on earth should lecturers and teachers not be paid
handsomely?
It is on this note that Education
Rights Campaign (ERC) call on all the students to put their voice together. The
commercialization of education in the country is a very disastrous one. The anti-people
government is so 'clever' that it will try to create divisions and segregation
among the students by trying to say that most of the new charges will only have
effect on the fresh students but that is a blatant lie. Whether fresh or
returning, we are still one single body of students. Even the hike in hostel
fee and all other exploitative increments should be reversed. Education is not
a money making venture. The politicians should stop stealing from us. Education
should be affordable as it is not an exclusive preserve for only the rich.
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