ASUU, ASUP Kick Against Student Loan Scheme, As School Fees Rise By 200%

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have criticized the Student Loan Scheme introduced by President Bola Tinubu, which aim to solve the major challenge facing the education sector in the country.

Although, Tinubu signed the Student Loan Act to Law days after his assumption of office, the move has been greeted with mixed reactions.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, posited during a lecture that the setting up of the student loan scheme was one of the surest ways to solve the problem of funding education in Nigeria.

Gbajabiamila, thereafter followed it up by sponsoring a bill on the matter in the National Assembly that would help indigent students to fund their education.

Meanwhile, two umbrella bodies of lecturers, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have criticised the student loan scheme noting that indigent students would be left out.

Speaking on the workability of the law, both ASUU and ASUP asserted that the foundation for the scheme to fail has been laid already due to the high unemployment rate in Nigeria.

According to the duo, when repayment becomes impossible, the fund would simply dry up.

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said, “It is a subtle hike in tuition fees in tertiary institutions. If a student says he cannot afford the fee, he would be referred to go and take the loan.

“We are not talking about how the children of the poor will be able to access it. We know that in Nigeria, things meant for the masses are always hijacked by the rich. After graduation, the children of the rich will get jobs and those of the poor, who may benefit from the scheme, will have no job from which to repay.

“The union will react at appropriately soon, but Nigerians know our stance on the scheme. It may not ultimately benefit the children of the poor and even if it does, it will just put a debt burden on them. Let the cost of governance be reduced and frivolous contracts and spending be done away with and we will have no funds for social services like education and others.”

On the part of the National President of ASUP, Dr Anderson Ezeibe, “The law does not take cognisance of the economic realities and situation in the country. The foundation for the scheme to fail has been laid.

“The unemployment rate in Nigeria, which I learnt is over 30% is one of the highest and under such conditions, the scheme won’t be sustainable. It is a funny way of introducing tuition fees and taking away education from the children of the poor that they claim to support.

“It is like the proponents of the law don’t live in Nigeria. Let them take a look at the situation on the ground and do something that will reflect the realities on the ground. Who is deceiving whom? If beneficiaries don’t secure employment after graduation and you expect them to begin repayment, the scheme will crash.

“Officially, tuition is free, but institutions have hike service charges like Acceptance fees, ID card Fees, Hostel Fees among others. A student who complains of inability to pay would just be asked to go to seek a student loan. Government should just convene a meeting of stakeholders and experts and people will chip in ideas on how to fund education and even free funds from frivolous sectors.”

Meanwhile, there has been rising tension in many tertiary institutions in the country which have hiked service charges such as Acceptance Fee, and Hostel Fee among others as the students and the students’ union bodies are set to tackle their management over the hike in school fees.

Gentechnews recently reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma Chapter has berated the institution’s management over what the union described as an “astronomical hike in the tuition fees payable by the students”, just as it also described the action as anti-people and counterproductive.

ASUU’s resentment was contained in a statement signed by Dr. Cyril Oziegbe Onogbosele and Dr. Willam Odion, the University’s Chairman and Assistant Secretary of ASUU respectively and made available to newsmen in Benin City.

The duo said that ASUU denounced the management style of the University Administration in handling the agitations and protests currently rocking the University as a result of astronomical hike in school fees payable in the University.

They stated further that the Union expressed grave concern that the University Administration’s style of shutting the doors of consultation and negotiation against popular demands of the students was unhelpful and disturbing.

ASUU said the University Administration’s refusal to enter into direct dialogue and negotiation with the protesting students’ body is patently draconian and reminiscent of the dark days of undemocratic rule.

They maintained that the Union faulted and condemned the University authorities’ resort to threat, intimidation and repression of students’ rights as evident in the University Management’s query to the student leaders over a call for a Congress of students.

“This is a crude way of handling issues of this nature. Unnecessary grandstanding and arrogance do not resolve issues of this nature. In civilized climes, dialogue is the only tool,” ASUU said.

According to the Union, while the students have been calling for dialogue in the resolution of the issues and problems facing students of the University, the attitude of the University authorities has been that of divide-and-rule tactics and a desperate ploy to destabilize the students’ body and punish the student leaders for daring to demand their rights.

ASUU highlighted that it was unfortunate that, whereas, the University Administration and Special Intervention Team (SIT) lack the courage to convince the Visitor to the University, Governor Godwin Obaseki to adequately fund the University such that it can compete favourably with other universities in Nigeria and globally, they have resorted to increase in school fees, the introduction of all manners of charges for which students, parents and guardians of students and the workers have to bear the brunt.