We Have No Plan to Increase Tuition Fees At FUL, Says Vice Chancellor

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The Management of Federal University, Lokoja, has disclosed that the institution had never contemplated increasing the school fees contrary to the rumour making the rounds.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Olayemi Akinwunmi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in his office at the permanent site of the university along Okene-Lokoja -Abuja highway, yesterday, saying it was not the true position of school authority.

Professor Akinwunmi, who was reacting to an online publication that FUL management had increased school fees and that people were protesting against such increments.

He however allayed fears already created in minds of the parents and guardians, adding the story was not correct and there was no iota of truth on the increase of school fees.

He said the university’s Governing Council had met and had not made any recommendation for the increase of school fees.

According to him, the school only approved an increase on the amount to be paid for acceptance fees, which he said was still within the range of what other tertiary institutions across the country pay.

“Kindly disregard any information suggesting an increase in the school fees. School fees remain unchanged, please, ” he stressed.

He said that the school fees still remained the approved one by the federal government, noting that the new intakes are expected to N55, 000 including all other charges while the returning students are to pay 47,000.

He noted that it was only the acceptance fees that were increased from N10,000 to N20,000 which he described as optional, noting that those who could not afford to pay the acceptance fees could try other institutions as it was not made compulsory and only for those who had gained admission and chosen to come FUL.

Akinwunmi noted that funding had been a major impediment to the growth of the university system in Nigeria, urging the government to increase the funding to assist the system to grow particularly new ones.

The Vice Chancellor noted that there is a lot of work to be done in Federal University, Lokoja, noting money had been a major challenge as much was not forthcoming from the federal government.

He lamented that most federal universities are finding it difficult to operate in view of introducing the IPPS, noting IPPS had taken away all the responsibility of the university system and rendered the management ineffective.

On the movement to the permanent site of the university, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that it was imperative to move to the permanent site with a view to expanding the scope of the institution to accommodate more programmes.

He added that most of the structures and facilities put in place have been vandalised because of continued stay at the Adankolo campus of the institution, noting that there was urgent need to rescue the facilities from the vandals and move in as soon as possible.