LAUTECH fee regime: Matters arising

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By Adewuyi ADEGBITE

Few days ago, the management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, released a new fee regime for the school. The new fee regime ranges from N221,000 to N553,000 depending on course of study and state of origin.

LAUTECH is owned solely by Oyo State unlike in the past when it was jointly owned with Osun State. Among all the state universities, her fee regime is about the most affordable. Before the expiration of the Abiola Ajimobi government in Oyo State, the fee was increased – a development that caused disaffection between the students/parents and the university. During his campaign for the 2019 gubernatorial election, the current governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, promised to look into the issue and do the needful. In fulfilment of the promise, he did not only reduce the fee but ended joint ownership with Osun State. Makinde was applauded by all for the feats.

My concern now is the killer fee regime introduced by the school management at a time people could hardly feed their families due to high prices of goods and services.

Does the political leadership in Oyo State and those in the management of the school want our children to acquire education at all? LAUTECH was established for the benefit of the children of the hoi polloi in the society. It is saddening that many of the people at the management cadre in the university and even in government who introduced the fee and those who sanctioned the evil fee, enjoyed free education in their time. Shall we say these people have short memory? Is it a case of climbing the ladder to the top only to remove same for others as our people used to say?

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There is no doubt that running an institution like LAUTECH requires lots of money. However, if the fee would be increased, this is not the time to do so. Most discerning people will see this as insensitivity to the plight of the common man particularly at this time.

Can a people who do not know for sure where the next meal would come afford these fees imposed on the students? It appears the government want to reduce the number of intake in our institutions. Already, many of our youths have lost interest in education due to the number of graduates roaming around the streets after graduation without jobs. Is fee hike a way to arouse interest of our youths in education?

Education is the sure way to develop any nation in all ramifications. A nation that does not take the education of her youths seriously will not only remain underdeveloped, it will witness the type of crisis our nation is facing today. A Yoruba adage says that “A child that is not brought up properly will sell the house we built”. Is this adage not being manifested in vices like kidnaping for ransom, banditry, armed robbery, ritual killings, and insurgency facing our nation? Is it not ironic that the government that cannot educate her youths free would spend billions to combat crime by the same neglected youths?

There is no doubt that Oyo State, like other over ambitious states, has bitten more than she can chew as regards the number of university established or upgraded. Oyo State has about three universities aside other tertiary institutions. Many of these institutions are established for political exigencies rather than the quest for educational development.

My advice for Makinde is to walk his talk by looking into the fee regime introduced by LAUTECH management to make it affordable. There are other ways the institution could generate revenues aside the increment in school fees. Prudent management of the revenue and blocking the loopholes where the revenue of the school is being mismanaged is the way to go. Any planned increment should be delayed until Nigeria gets out of economic quagmire.