Polytechnic students decry exclusion from tuition waiver in federal universities
- National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) said the proposed abolition of tuition fees in tertiary institutions is a welcome development
- It, however, condemned the exclusion of polytechnics from the proposed tuition waiver
- The students’ association gave the federal government a seven-day ultimatum to extend tuition waiver policy to all federal owned polytechnics
The Senate president of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Comrade Adekanbi Sunday, has condemned the minister of state for education for cutting out polytechnic institutions in the proposed abolition of tuition fees in tertiary institutions.
Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting disclosed that no federal universitya, while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting disclosed that no federal university shall henceforth charge tuition fees, declaring such as illegal.
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Comrade Adekanbi lamented that while the move was a welcome initiative, it, however, omitted the polytechnic sector, Vanguard reports
Adekanbi said: “In the abolition of tuition fees for federal universities, no mention was made or consideration given to polytechnic institutions.”
According to him, NAPS being an umbrella body for all polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of technology and other allied institutions awarding ND and HND across the six geo-political zones of the federation condemns such acts of insensitivity and discrimination especially at a time when endeavours to address these issues are currently yielding results.
He said: “Currently, students in various polytechnics wince under the burden of extortionate tuition and other charges without recourse to the prevailing hardship in the country. The percentage of indigent students has increased geometrically as parents are either owed salaries or experience setbacks in business. Therefore, we call on the federal government to embrace the path of equity and effect immediate eradication of tuition fees along with other obnoxious charges making education expensive and difficult in Nigeria.
“It is noteworthy that discrimination against polytechnic education in Nigeria is the bane of technical development at the expense of the abundant potentials and propensity inherent in the sector. Having seen the abolition of tuition fee in federal universities, excluding polytechnics as a clear marginalisation of the polytechnic students, the leadership of NAPS hereby demands an immediate extension of the removal of tuition fee policy to all federal owned tertiary institutions awarding ND and HND respectively on or before the next seven working days or consider the streets massively flooded in protest to completely shut down the ministry.”
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Legit.ng previously reported that students of Benue state University, Makurdi, on Monday, May 21, shut down academic and non-academic activities on the school’s two campuses in protest against the hike in their tuition fees.
The students went on a protest after the university management introduced new conditional charges that resulted in an over 65% hike in tuition fees for new students.
The protesting students blocked all the entrances leading to the university campus along the Makurdi/Gboko federal highway, demanding that the university management reverse the tuition increase without any delay to enable the new students to carry out their necessary registration.
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Source: Legit.ng
