Kwara Poly: State govt cuts tuition

The Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed and the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, on Thursday said the Joint Executive-Legislative Committee on the hike in tuition fees of Kwara Polytechnic has directed a new few regime for the institution.

There had been controversy over the fee increment of the school, leading to peaceful protest by the students.

But the Speaker, during a media briefing in Ilorin, Kwara State, said the committee, which comprised the highest officers of both the executive and legislative arms of the Government of Kwara State, after forensic review of facts and figures, directed a new regime of fee payment.

The briefing was attended by House members, including the House leader, Mr. Hassan Oyeleke; Chairman, House Committee on Education, Jimoh Abdulrahman; Matthew Babaoye, as well as some students of Kwara Poly.

He stated that for the 2017/2018 academic session, Kwara State Polytechnic shall revert to schedule of fees as approved by the Joint Committee, which, according to him, are lower than what native students paid for the 2016/2017 session.

He said, “In other words, the payable fees by indigenes are now not only lower than what the management was to charge, they are even lower than what students paid last academic session.

“Thus, some students will now pay as much as N19,000 less than what they would have paid.

“All students that have paid over and above the 2017/2018 fees as just approved shall be refunded by the school.

“This decision supersedes all earlier decisions on this subject matter.

“Students have until the end of January to fully pay their newly approved tuition fees.

“The council and representatives of students should be carried along and all due process followed before any future increase in tuition.”

According to the new fee schedule made available to journalists, full-time HND 1 native students are to pay for the 2017/2018 session N55,500, as against the N69,200 charged by the school for 2017/2018 session and N58,500 paid in 2016/2017; while those from outside Kwara State are to pay N75,500, as against the N87,200 charged by the school and N75,500 paid in 2017/2017.

He stated that HND 2 full-time natives are to pay N43,000, as against N58,500 charged by the school and N40,500 paid in 2016/2017; while non natives are to pay N58,500, as against N75,500 charged by the school and N47,500 paid in 2016/2017.

According to him, ND 1 full- time native students are to pay N50,000, as against N62,700 charged by the school and N52,000 paid in 2016/2017, while non-natives are to pay N70,000 as against N84,200 charged by the school and N72,000 paid in 2016/2017.

He also said ND 2 full-time native students are to pay N38,000, as against N52,000 charged by the school and N39,000 paid in 2016/2017; while non-natives are to pay N53,000, as against N72,000 charged by the school and N45,000 paid in 2016/2017.

Ahmad also said part time HND 1 indegenes are to pay N52,500 against N71,200 charged by the school and N53,000 paid in 2016?2017 while indigenes are to pay N71,500 against N89,700 charged by the school and N74,500 paid in 2016/2017.

He also said HND 2 part-time native students are to pay N38,000, as against N53,000 charged by the school and N41,500 paid in 2016/2017; while non-natives are to pay N55,000, as against N74,500 demanded by the school and N56,500 paid last year.

The Speaker also said HND 3 part-time native students are now to pay N36,200, which is same demanded by the school, as against N41,500 paid last year; while non-natives are to also pay N47,000, being the same demanded by the school, against N51,500 paid last year.

He also said ND1 part-time indigenes are to pay N51,000 against N65,200 demanded by the school and N52,500 paid in 2016/2017 while non-indegenes are to pay N69,500 as last year against N85,200 charged by the school.

According to him, ND 2 part time indigenes are to pay N39,000 against N51,500 demanded by the school and N40,500 paid last year while non-indegenes are to pay N53,800 from N46,500 paid last years and against N68,500 charged by the school for the current session.

Ahmad however said ND 3 part time indigenes are to pay N34,000 as against N34,550 demanded by the school and N40,500 paid last year while non-indegenes are to pay N39,000 against N38,000 demanded by the school and N46,500 paid last year.

The governor later in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, directed the management of Kwara State Polytechnic to reduce tuition fees payable for the 2017/2018 academic session.

According to him, the new approved tuition fees are lower than the 2016/2017 fees.

Akorede said Ahmed’s approval is in line with the recommendations of the Committee he set up to conduct an investigation into the tuition fees of the polytechnic.

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