TheCable

The senate has asked the management of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to halt the implementation of the recent increase in school fees and charges.

The senate gave the directive during Tuesday’s plenary session following a motion introduced by Abubakar Kyari, senator representing Borno north.

The university governing council had at its recent meeting considered and approved an increase in charges and fees for students.

Some of the charges affected are for registration, collection of certificates, inter-university, inter-departmental transfers as well as hostel maintenance.

A circular of the notice seen by TheCable showed the charges for collection of certificates was raised to N15,000 for degree and N10,000 for diploma while inter-university transfer was raised to N150,000 within Nigeria and N250,000 for abroad.

The decision had triggered criticisms from some Nigerians including the students of the university who took to social media to condemn the hike.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)) also began a negotiation process with the university management to address the matter.

At Tuesday’s sitting, Kyari expressed fear that the hike in fees could push the students out of school to join the Boko Haram insurgent group.

He said the decision could also worsen the security situation in Borno and the north-east where the insurgency has been on for more than a decade.

The senator told his colleagues to intervene on the matter and come to the rescue of the students of the university.

The senate subsequently halted the process and mandated its committee on tertiary education and TETFUND to engage with the management of the university not to take action on the increment to enable the committee carry out an investigation on the matter.

It also asked the National University Commission and the ministry of education to harmonise subcharges in tertiary institutions in the country.