Education Must Be Affordable For Every Willing Citizen – Bukola Saraki

Dr Bukola Saraki, has stepped in as regards the tuition fees crisis rocking Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.

The students union of the institution had serially protested in Ilorin against what it described as outrageous tuition fees, insisting that the authorities must revert the tuition fees to the old regime.

But Saraki yesterday in a statement he personally signed, agreed with the students’ position, saying information at his disposal showed an upward review of the tuition fees by the Polytevhnic’s management. The Senate President, who appealed to the students and their parents to remain calm, assured them that Kwara State government would revisit the issue. Saraki’s statement read:” Just this morning, students from my constituency sent me the details of the school fees the Registrar of the Kwara State Polytechnic released for the 2017/2018 academic session through Whatsapp.

“After reviewing it, I found that there had been a deliberate attempt to confuse and mislead the state government and the general public. “It is obvious that a second year student in 2017/18 is now expected to pay N20,000 more than second year students paid in the 2016/17 session. This is contrary to the claim contained in the statement released by the institution just last week.”

“With the present economic situation, this increment is unacceptable. I stand by my earlier position that education must be affordable for every willing citizen because it is the bedrock of development. Any increase in the school fees must be stopped now.

“I appeal to all concerned students and their families to remain calm. I am sure that the government will revisit this issue. “Thank you to all the students who spoke with me on the phone this morning and helped to provide additional insight on this issue.”