ERC Calls for Reversal
of hiked fee and other exploitative charges
For Unconditional
Restoration of Students’ Union and an End to Intimidation of Student Activists
PRESS STATEMENT
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) calls for immediate reversal
of hiked fees at the University of Jos and proper funding of the institution by
the Federal Government. Against the background of the economic hardship in the
country, we consider the fee hike insensitive, vexatious, anti-poor and clearly
exploitative.
We equally condemn the decision of the University of Jos management
to force students to pay a N1, 000 levy for the rebuilding of a burnt library
in the institution as an attempt to exploit students and dispossess them of
their parents hard earned money.
Recently, the management of
University of Jos led by Professor Seddi Sebastian Maimako hiked fees for
returning students from N27, 400 to N45, 000. To
rubberstamp this anti-poor increment, the UNIJOS management convened a kangaroo
parents/guardians meeting at which students union representatives and genuine
parents were prevented from speaking. In a cynical and vexatious manner, the
Vice Chancellor claimed that by increasing fees to N45, 000, he is merely
implementing a Federal government directive to the effect that no fee in any
federal tertiary institution should be higher than N45, 000.
But contrary to Prof. Maimako’s fraudulent interpretation, this
policy was apparently introduced by the federal government apparently to put a
ceiling on fee hike against the background of the reckless manner Vice Chancellors
had been increasing fees over the years. Before now, fresh students in UNIJOS
paid something between N71, 000 and N100, 000 while returning students paid
N27, 400. Now to implement this policy, the UNIJOS management decided to reduce
the outrageous fees of fresh students to N45, 000 while jerking up the fee of
returning students to N45, 000 thereby effectively recouping whatever shortfall
the University may have incurred as a result of the reduction made in fresh
students’ fees.
As far as we are concerned, the responsibility to fund public
education is that of the government. As the custodian of Nigeria’s resources
and wealth, it is the government’s responsibility to make available the funds
necessary to ensure that all people of school-going age are able to attend
standard and quality public schools so that they can in turn contribute the
knowledge and skills acquired towards the country’s development and progress. The
actions of the Prof. Maimako-led University of Jos management is an attempt to
pass this responsibility to parents.
As we write, the N45, 000 fee hike is being imposed on hapless
students in a despotic and violent manner despite the public opposition already
expressed by the students union and even some staff unions. A climate of fear
and terror now envelopes the campus as Prof. Maimako and his minions are on the
prowl to intimidate and victimize anyone that criticizes the hiked fee in any
way. Infact for speaking up against the hike, the UNIJOS management dissolved
the Students Union and replaced it with a Caretaker committee – an affront on
the right to independent unionism. According to a press release by the office
of the UNIJOS Vice chancellor, the Students Union was dissolved for the
following reasons:
“the decision of its
members to convene a meeting of Students without due approval from the
Directorate of Students Affairs which resulted in a protest where the Students
were carrying placards against the School Administration for implementing a
Federal Government directive of new School Charges for all Federal Government
Universities. The SUG officials had similarly mobilized Students to attend the
Stakeholders meeting with parents uninvited and were shouting down parents
during the course of the meeting. The Vice-Chancellor adduced other reasons for
the dissolution to include externalizing an internal issue affecting the
University without following the acceptable laid down procedures for conflict
resolution in the University, intimidating and issuing threats to law abiding
Students including fresh Students who are willing to comply with the payment of
the new School Charges. The SUG officials were also accused of maligning the
Principal Officers of the University including the Vice-Chancellor on various
media platforms including the social media while misinforming members of the
public on the action taken by the University Authorities in the process of
implementing the new School Charges.”
Now by a new
circular, the University’s governing council has resolved to reinstate the Students
Union so far each of the Union officials is prepared to do the following: (1)
Write a letter of apology to the management for tarnishing the image of the
University in the public domain (2) Pledge to be of good behavior and maintain
good discipline and (3) that they do not introduce any discussion on the
approved new charges of N45, 000.
The target of all these is to intimidate the union leaders and severely
limit students’ freedom of expression and association so that they will not be
able to resist the implementation of the fee hike. We oppose this despotic
method and call on the Prof. Maimako-led UNIJOS management to stop violating
the students democratic rights to freedom of expression and association. Most
importantly, we call on the mass of UNIJOS students not to give up on their rights
to speak up and resist injustice. We urge ASUU, NASU, NASU, NAAT chapters of
UNIJOS, civil organizations and the labour movement to speak up and condemn
this assault on democratic rights and the anti-poor increment of fees in
UNIJOS.
Hassan Taiwo Soweto
National Coordinator
(07033697259)
Ibukun
Omole
National Secretary
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