After the report that tuition fees of higher institution in Osun State has increased, students trooped out to protest against the alleged move of the state government. A protest that started peacefully ended with violence as security men tried to disperse the students by trowing tear gas which as a result left many injured (vanguard newspaper reports).
After the protest, the state's government through its commissioner of information, Mr Baderinwa Adelani, denied any attempt to increase the state's owned higher institution fees. "Government has not authorised any increment in the tuition fees in all the state tiatary institutions and that only the ancillary fees were increased by the institution authorities based on some considerations" he said. Mr Adelani also stated that the institution authority are at liberty to fix extraneous fees.
One may wonder if ancillary fees could bring an increment of about 101 percent in the institution fees as we have it now.
Gathered from the Student Union, the tuition fees of Osun State Polytechnic Iree and that of Esa Oke were increased from 25,000 to 56,000, College of education Ilesa and that of Ila-orangun were increased from 25,000 to 45,000 and our very own Uniosun was increased from the range of 95,000 and 125,000 to 200,000 and 235,000 excluding the acceptance fee which is N40,000. Though all these are said to affect the fresh student only.
However, the vice chancellor of Osun State University, Prof Labode Popoola in response to this did not deny the increment but said the inability of the state government to fund the institution forced the management to look inward.
With the aforementioned data, it is clear that the tuition fees of Osun State institutions were increased as against the report from the commissioner of information in the state. Whether the decision is of the state government or the school management , none is our business so far it is the property of the state government, the responsibility lies on it and it is necessary for the government to know that increment in higher institutions' fees is an attempt to drive education away from the reach of the poor.
Meanwhile, we can testify to the fact that the governor has done well in the aspect of capital projects in the state, starting from the construction of motorable roads, modern schools (elementary, middle and high schools) the yet to be completed airport and other agricultural and youth empowerment schemes. However the fact remains that most of the students at the state owned higher institutions are indigenes of the state whose parents are ugly paid by the state government. Those who are paid accurately and the none government workers are not only heavily taxed but being consumed by the country's hard economy condition.
Apart from the drastic increase in the price of goods, hike in the price of fuel/fuel scarcity, the cost of the higher institutions in the state has no smiling face towards the students and applicants. Despite all these, our government continue borrowing heavily to construct bridges. The state government under the leadership of Ogbeni Aregbesola borrowed over N48billion for a water project in Ilesa and its environ.
Although, we are not saying government should not carry out its capital obligations which, as a matter of fact, is expected of it, but if all these are being done at the expense of easing the cost of higher education for citizens in the state, it is as if we are building paradise for foreigners to abide. We should know that Lagos State University, Adekunle Ajasin, Akungba-Akoko of Ondo State, NSUK of Nasarawa State, TASU of Taraba State etc have low tuition fees compared to that of Osun State. Also, Borno State budgets N27bn for education in the year 2018. It is therefore necessary for Osun state government to ease the cost of higher institutions in the state.
Writing from the perspective of a student and Osun indigene whose wish is that citizens enjoy, if not free, at least, relaxed education fee in the state at the higher level.
By Bolaji Abdulsalam(JP.Salam)
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