SENATE TO SUMMON 38 VCS OVER HIKE IN TUITION FEES

The Nigerian Senate will convene the vice-chancellors of 38 federal universities in the country on raising tuition fees.

The Chairman, the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Barau Jibrin, testified on Tuesday.

Jibrin said this in reaction to the statement attributed to the president of the University of Ibadan Academic Staff Union (ASUU), Deji Omole, that 38 universities have increased their tuition fees on insufficient funding by the federal government.

Institutions include: University of Lagos (UNILAG), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), University of Nigeria (UNN), Obafemi Awolowo University (OUA), Bayero Kano University (BUK) University of Abuja, Usman Danfodiyo University (UDUS) Ilorin University and Open University of Nigeria (NOM) among others.

Jibrin said the VC would be invited when the Senate resumes from Sallah next Tuesday, to explain why they increased fees.

“There are abuses of IGR in almost all the Universities. Our preliminary investigations have shown that there is general abuse of IGR in our universities.

“We have beamed our searchlight on it. We will ensure proper utilisation of the IGR including tuition fees,” he said in an interview with Daily Trust.