Don’t send students away because of fees, NANS warns Federal University, Wukari

…Says anti-student policies won’t stay

By Adesina Wahab

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has warned the management of Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State against sending students away from the campus or stopping them from registering for academic activities because of inability to pay tuition fees, saying that would amount to being insensitive to the plight of the students.

The association, in a statement by the National President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, said the fact that the students are awaiting the payment of their tuition fees by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFund, should be enough for the school to exercise caution.

This is just as the association warned that anti-student policies would not be allowed to thrive in the university.

“The national leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has received with great discontent and strong resentment, the position of the management of the Federal University, Wukari, directing students who are unable to pay their school fees to defer their semester or academic session, while further warning that failure to either pay tuition fees or formally secure approval for deferment would result in the forfeiture of both the semester and the entire academic session.

“The management also stated that students who defer without approval or absent themselves without an approved deferment would be barred from registering for the next academic session. We strongly decry this position, as it is insensitive, anti-student, and contrary to the ideals of accessible and inclusive education.

“Humanity must always precede our personal dispositions in the management of institutions. This decision is cruelty in its purest form. At a time when the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has introduced the NELFUND initiative to make education accessible to ordinary Nigerians and every young Nigerian who aspires to pursue higher education, it is disheartening that the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Wukari is the very one frustrating students and keeping them out of school because of financial challenges that the initiative was designed to address.

“As the apex leadership of Nigerian students, we strongly condemn the position of the management of Federal University, Wukari for adopting a stance that is not student-friendly. This is a direct attack on Nigerian students and the education sector at large.

“It is on record that many of these students have already applied for NELFUND, which means the management will receive the tuition fees as soon as NELFUND disburses the funds. It is therefore inhumane for the Vice-Chancellor and the entire management of the institution to deny students the opportunity to write their examinations despite the assurance that NELFUND will certainly disburse the funds in due course.

“It is also on record that even when many students go out of their way to pay their fees before NELFUND disbursements, several institutions fail to refund them promptly. It was only recently, following sustained pressure from the leadership of NANS, that many of these institutions began processing refunds.

“According to reports available to us, over 5,000 students have been affected by this decision.

Considering the sheer number of students involved and the willingness of the Vice-Chancellor to deny them access to education, it is evident that his policies are anti-student. More importantly, his actions undermine the very essence of the NELFUND initiative of the President Tinubu whose vision is to ensure that every deserving Nigerian, regardless of financial circumstances, has access to quality education.

“Let it be unequivocally stated that there is no circumstance under which the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) will fold its arms and watch over 5,000 students be denied the opportunity to sit for their examinations on account of late registration, despite having secured funding for their tuition through NELFUND.

“Our position, as the apex leadership of Nigerian students, is clear and unambiguous: if these students are not allowed to complete their registration and sit for their examinations, then the examinations should not proceed for anyone.

“We shall continue to resist every policy and action that is detrimental to the interests and welfare of Nigerian students. We therefore call on the Vice-Chancellor, as a matter of utmost urgency and importance, to immediately reverse this decision, and ensure that all affected students are allowed to register and participate in their examinations.

“Failure to comply with this demand will leave the leadership of NANS with no option but to relocate its National Secretariat to the Federal University, Wukari to resist the anti-student policies that the Vice-Chancellor continues to champion until justice is done and the rights of the affected students are restored.”

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