Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, has urged the administrations of federal universities across the country to “immediately suspend the plan to increase tuition and school fees, especially because the majority of the people have been rendered impoverished as a result of the Federal Government’s removal of fuel subsidies.”
On Thursday, Falana issued a statement signed by Tayo Soyemi on behalf of Falana and Falana Chambers.
The senior lawyer said, “Since the federal government has not lifted the 1975 policy which abolished the payment of tuition fees in federal tertiary institutions, the federal universities lack the power to impose astronomical tuition fees on students.”
“The payment of school fees in junior secondary schools is illegal as Section 2 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act and Section 15 of the Child’s Rights Act have imposed a legal obligation on the federal and state governments to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child from primary to junior secondary level.
“We have noted that the governments have not taken cognizance of the plight of physically challenged people in the implementation of the new education policy. It is pertinent to point out that it is illegal to collect school fees from physically challenged students.”
BizWatch Nigeria calls that the Federal Government (FG) raised school fees for Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), also known as Federal Unity Colleges, from ₦45,000 to ₦100,000.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) also raised school fees for new and returning undergraduate students.
According to a statement acquired by BizWatch Nigeria, UNILAG based the action on “prevailing economic realities.”
“After careful deliberations with its stakeholders (students, parents/guardians, staff unions, alumni among others), the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Management has reviewed the obligatory fees (mandatory charges for an academic session/year) of new and returning undergraduate students of the University,” UNILAG explained.
