The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Wednesday, September 23, came hard on the immediate-past Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University, Professor Ibiyemi Tunji-Bello, for allegedly saying universities should charge not less than N1 million as tuition in order to sustain financial independence.
NANS said the statement attributed to her was in a bad taste, urging her to retract the statement and apologise to Nigerian students.
According to reports, in a farewell interview granted some newspapers, she was quoted as saying: “Any public university that wants to sustain financial independence will have to charge tuition fees of not less than N1 million per student. You can’t have academic excellence without paying for it.”
However, in a statement on Wednesday, President of NANS, Babatunde Afeez Akinteye, said the students find her position deeply disturbing and insensitive.
The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to a cruel and inhumane statement credited to the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, wherein she reportedly stated that universities seeking financial stability must charge students not less than N1 million in tuition.
“As the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who shoulders the responsibility of representing and advancing the interests of Nigerian students, I find her position deeply disturbing and insensitive. I make bold to state, without mincing words, that Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello goofed.
“It is so sardonic that a former Vice-Chancellor, who is also a parent, a mother who is supposed to be empathetic, could publicly advocate that Nigerian students should be made to pay nothing less than N1 million in tuition before public universities can attain financial sustainability.
“It is rather unfortunate to see the oppressed of yesterday become the oppressor of today. Many of those who enjoyed free education are the ones who stand to commercialise education.
“This recent public comment by Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello speaks of her cruelty and callousness. One must ask her how much she paid during her undergraduate days. Was the education that prepared her for the career she enjoys today commercialised or priced at that amount?
“To be clear, education cannot be commercialised. Students cannot be made to pay for the financial challenges confronting our universities. As much as universities require adequate funding, the Federal Government is investing heavily in education to keep students in school, ensuring that education is accessible to all, regardless of their background and financial status.
“Thus, if universities need extra funding, management, especially Vice-Chancellors, must be ready to innovate, think outside the box, and innovate to generate revenue without having to place extra burdens on students.
“The Federal Government has also established NELFUND as part of efforts to expand access to education. Managements must therefore refrain from increasing tuition fees just because NELFUND has been put in place to pay students’ tuition. Managements must explore other alternatives to generate revenue without having to burden students and stretch them financially.
“Going forward, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, having goofed, is enjoined to retract her statement. With such a cruel and callous statement, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello has shown to all Nigerians that she is undeserving of a public office.
“To this end, managements of institutions are enjoined to discard the callous statement of Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello to commercialise education and make education inaccessible to all. Management must innovate without having to overstretch Nigerian students.
“As the voice of Nigerian students both at home and in the diaspora, we shall continue to speak for students while advancing our collective will, championing initiatives that address the welfare and concerns of Nigerian students.”
