Chai! My people, Na serious wahala dey for university fees matter for Naija o! This one no be play…
One widow wey dey work as lecturer for University of Nigeria, Nsukka don dey struggle as her pikin just get admission. She gather N30,000, normal acceptance fee wey dem dey always collect. Na so she dey smile, but e no last for long. Dem come increase the acceptance fee to N50,000. Na double wahala for her!
As if dat no reach, dem dey talk say total fees for new students fit land anywhere wey between N200,000 and N240,000. Wetin be dis? This mama don dey spend every kobo wey she fit gather, and now, fees dey climb like say dem dey play race. E fit reach as much as wetin she dey earn for six whole months! How far?!
Acceptance fees no even mean say your pikin go survive school; dem just dey collect am sharp-sharp so they fit gatekeep who fit come and who no fit. We go dey talk this matter tire, but legislators dey sleep on top this issue matter. Dem dey call am exploitative—we need make dem do better!
Base on wetin wey dey happen, UNN students dey pay N90,000 to N95,000 every session. Fresh students go dey pay around N150,000 to N165,000 too! But we fit hear say dem wan double am again! Dem dey talk say tuition still dey free, but who dem dey deceive? Families dey suffer as e don double.
No be say the fees dey reach wetin private schools dey charge, but for families wey no get plenty money like dat, e go hard to cope. With inflation dey chop money like broom, this combination no good at all. Everybody dey feel am—from civil servants, to petty traders, everybody dey reason this matter!
Acceptance fee don turn to wahala wey dey affect plenty families. When dem first bring am back for 2004, na small amount e be. But now e don change from N2,000 to N50,000! Na dis kind money wey fit make person faint. Reports dey talk say even Ambrose Alli University don increase their own amount too. What of National Universities Commission wey suppose control this matter? Where dem dey hide? Na who go correct dis nonsense?
As student union and ASUU dey look, dis one no be the time for them to go protest; make dem use common sense. Dem fit talk say enrollment fees go dey increase small-small, no be sudden jump like say na austerity measure. Na wetin dem fit do now be public disclosure of fees, and make sure say dem fit accommodate families wey no dey fit bear the burden sharp-sharp!
For the lecturer mama, this matter dey pain am more than wey dem fit understand. When people wey dey work for school no fit train their children, finish, na who go help d country? Parents don become the fuel wey dey burn for this high school bill matter. When dis kind situation dey happen, education go turn from ladder of opportunity to road wey dey divide rich and poor.
Nigeria schools must find better ways to gather money wey no go tear families apart. Make we shine our eyes—if education fit become private gamble no be public good, wetin go remain for communities wey dey hope for brighter future? This na serious issue wey we must face!
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