UNIMAID says students can pay new fees, charges in instalments

University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Borno State, has directed students to pay the 150 per cent hike in fees and other charges in two instalments.

The Vice President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Suleiman Sarki, recently led a protest against the increase in fees and charges by UNIMAID Governing Council on December 1, 2022.

Registrar of the university, Ahmed Lawan, stated, yesterday, that the payment in two tranches across the two semesters of every session could cushion the effect of the upward review of fees and charges.

According to him, the first instalment shall be at least 60 per cent, while the balance can be paid during the second semester.

“The university council has put measures in place to enable students pay their registration fees and other charges. Students, who cannot afford to pay at once can do it in two instalments.

“We were compelled to increase the fees due to the rising cost of laboratory reagents and other chemicals, as well as teaching and learning materials,” he said.

Students and the Borno Emirate Concerned Citizens (BECC) forum protested against the hike in fees by the federal university.

MEANWHILE, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi State, has launched an electronic platform for patients, doctors and management to reduce bottlenecks in healthcare delivery.

At the launch of the platform, yesterday, ATBUTH Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Yusuf Jibrin, said the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) selected the hospital along with five other health institutions across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria to benefit from the Smart Clinic Telemedicine Suite (e-Health solutions).

“It is an e-mobile and web solution that links a patient-based mobile health application with a hospital or doctor-based information management system.

“It will effectively help people access health services remotely, irrespective of their location at any given time. This is part of the commission’s mandate to encourage research and development by all communications industry practitioners,” the CMD said.

He said the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy supported ATBUTH in the project.