By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Kogi State House of Assembly has directed the managements of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, and the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, to suspend forthwith the recent increases in school fees and revert to the previous rates.
The House, which issued the directive in a resolution at Wednesday’s plenary, cited public outcry and the economic hardship facing parents and students as reasons.
The adoption followed a petition presented to the Assembly by the House Leader, Dr. Suleiman Abdulrasaq, representing Okene Town State Constituency, who expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding the introduction of the new fees.
Presenting the petition, Abdulrasaq said the fee hikes had sparked widespread complaints among parents and students, particularly over what he described as inadequate consultation before the revised rates were introduced.
In his prayers, the legislator called for a House resolution directing PAAU and Kogi State Polytechnic to suspend the increase in school fees and revert to the old rates.
He also urged the House to invite the Commissioner for Education and the managements of the two institutions to explain the rationale behind the increases and direct them to suspend the new rates.
Supporting the resolution, Hon. Maikudi Idrees (APC-Kogi-Kotonkarfe), Hon. Abu Onoruoiza Jibril (APC-Ajaokuta), and Hon. Bin Ebaya Shehu Tijani (APC-Lokoja I) warned that the increases could further strain household finances and make access to higher education more difficult for many families.
The lawmakers urged the state government and the institutions to take account of the economic challenges confronting residents and ensure that school fees did not become an additional barrier to education.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, acknowledged that the two institutions had enabling laws governing their operations but maintained that the fee increases were not in the best interest of the state, given the prevailing economic realities.
The Speaker stressed the need for policies that would protect students and their families from additional financial pressure while ensuring that access to education remained affordable.
Consequently, following overwhelming voice votes, the Speaker adopted the petition and its prayers and resolved to invite the Commissioner for Education and the managements of the two institutions to explain the rationale behind the fee increases.
