Niger Assembly Wades into IBB varsity Fees Rift.
Yahaya Zakka Minna
The Niger state House of Assembly has waded into the crisis in Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai following the increase in school fees by management of the state owned institution.
Raising a motion of urgent public importance, member representing Bida 2, Hon Mohammed Alhaji Haruna said the Governing Council of the school and the Management have increased school fees and other charges by 100 percent and called on the house to intervene.
He said the governing council and the Senate should be invited to appear before the house and state reason for their action.
Hon Haruna said “at the beginning of 2019/2020 session, returning students of Niger state origin paid N27,500 while new ones paid N52, 500 as against the new rate brought in vide a circular dated the 3rd August 2021, while the returning students are expected to pay the sum of N67,925 and new students N129,675 for the 2020/2021 session.”
He said when the two fees were compared; the governing council had approved 100 percent increment of all the fees to be paid by students at the time most families were struggling to feed.
Hon Haruna said if the house does nothing to address the crisis, most students will drop out of school which may increase criminality in the society.
He pointed further that relevant sections in the Constitution has mandated governments at all levels to ensure every citizen is educated and to also eradicate all forms of illiteracy.
The lawmakers then resolved that the Senate, Governing Council and Management of the university should appear before the committee on education and report back in two weeks.
