By Gbenga Akingbule.
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, on Friday, made a passionate appeal to the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID)’s Management to as a matter of urgency, embark on the downward review of the recently hiked registration fees and charges.
Gatekeepers News reports that the UNIMAID Governing Council had last December 2022, announced an upward review of students registration fees and charges citing “rising costs in teaching and learning materials, as well as laboratory consumables and reagents brought about by market forces.”
Zulum also told the University Management to bring forward its budget pointing out that the state government has concluded plans to further assist the institution with a view of making its student pay lesser tuition fees compared to other universities across the country.
This was disclosed when top officials of UNIMAID led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (admin) Prof . Mohammed Mele paid a Sallah homage to Prof Zulum at the Government House, Maiduguri.
Governor Zulum expressed deep concern about why the Management of UNIMAID embarked on the astronomical increase of tuition fees, noting that no other Federal Universities within the North East Region have “increased their school fees to this level.”
According to the Governor, “apart from students of the Faculty of Arts and Education that pays between N70,000 and N75000, all other students are paying over N100,000. Students of the Faculty of Law in UNIMAID pay N124,000 while students of Federal University Wukari pay only N47000.
“If Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola ( MAUTECH) ( Adamawa State), The Federal University Wukari (Taraba State ), Federal University Gashua ( Yobe State), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) (Bauchi State ) and (Federal University Kashere ) ( Gombe State) then why Borno State?”
Zulum specifically called on the Vice Chancellor of UNIMAID Prof Aliyu Shugaba to give a “listening ear” to the people of Borno State and consider the immediate review of the fees hike.
He lamented that he had received over 500 telephone calls from Borno citizens who complained of their inability to pay the new tuition fees. He revealed that many parents and guardians had withdrawn some of their children from UNIMAID over a lack of funds to pay their tuition fees.
The Governor reminded the UNIMAID authorities that the state is already challenged with insecurity issues and the recent fee hike will only compound the problems noting that illiteracy is one of the significant causes of insurgency.
Haven served as a lecturer in UNIMAID, the Governor said he is not oblivious to the financial challenges of the institution but stated that the challenges are surmountable but, not by increasing tuition fees.
“Even if students pay N500,000 each, I don’t think it will be enough to solve the University (UNIMAID ) problems. But we are set to look into your budget, interface with you, and we can provide budget- support to the University in order to reduce the school fees,” Zulum said.
