Students drawn from 19 Northern states, yesterday, gathered in Gombe State, surrounded the metropolis to protest against the increase in tuition fees and the Education Loan Bill.
Carrying placards with the inscriptions, ‘We want a secure future for all students’, ‘Give us the education we have been given’, ‘Say no to high tuition fees’, ‘This government does not care about students’ and ‘Say no to Loans Education Bill’ among others, the students bemoaned the possible impact of the increase in tuition fees on education in the region.
The National Coordinator, Coalition of Northern Groups, Students Wing (CNG-SW), Emuseh Bokunga, said: “The increase in tuition fees, if unchecked, will lead to massive dropouts and return millions of youth in this region to the streets, as new students have to give up their dreams to get a higher education.
“Returning students who have not been able to overcome the trauma of the eight-month strike Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and struggle to bear the frustration of the wasted academic year, resources and energy will find themselves at the receiving end.”
However, the students, completed a resolution among them is a request, from the stakeholders, to act together to ensure a review of the immediate drop in tuition fees in universities in the north.
“The Northern elite and all stakeholders must speak out against the Education Loan Bill, because the lifespan and sustainability of the loan is not guaranteed.
“If the occurrence of such bills is unavoidable, we request your immediate intervention to ensure the availability of easy accessibility and soft repayment clauses,” he expected.
CNG-SW, however, appealed to the Northern elite, especially the business community, to support public universities in their domain.
Meanwhile, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has engaged 2,670 university and other graduates to serve the country in the education, health, environment and agriculture sectors.
The Director General, Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Mamman Mohammed, in a statement, yesterday, in Damaturu, stated that the principal approved the direct employment of degree, Higher National Diploma (HND) and Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) holders.
According to Buni, the engagement of the graduates by the Ministry of Wealth Creation, Employment and Employment Generation (MWEG) will be done by the Commissioner, Abdullahi Bego.
“This exercise is to fill the void that exists to provide efficient services to the people in various communities.
“Of the 2,670 candidates, 890 each for university degrees, HND and NCE holders in the country.”
Buni in the statement also clarified that the graduates and diplomas were selected from 178 political wards in 17 DPRD. Therefore, he demanded that he justify his involvement in various sectors with high commitment and dedication to serve the people.