Get Guardian on GoogleThe Kogi State Government has defended the recent hike in tuition fees for its state-owned tertiary institutions, insisting that the exercise was part of a unified policy to harmonise charges across all state-owned universities.
Clarifying the Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Education following a petition, the Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, explained that the adjustments were not in isolation, as the government usually accommodates different interests whenever such a review becomes necessary, particularly in view of the administration’s free education policy.
He disclosed that a letter conveying the directive for the fee review was sent to PAAU in 2024 but was not fully implemented at the time, adding that the current exercise was in line with a uniform fee structure for state-owned universities, which had already been adopted by other institutions in the state.
Also, the Vice-Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Prof. Salisu Usman, said the university merely implemented the state government’s directive, stressing that his administration did not independently increase the fees.
Meanwhile, the Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Prof. SalihuAvidime, said he was unaware of any petition regarding an increase in fees, insisting that his administration had not raised school charges.
For its part, the committee requested additional documents to enable a thorough examination of the petition, assuring that the matter would receive due diligence in the interest of the institutions and students.
