- * 'Our Parents Don't Print Money', They Lament
By Nahum Sule (Taraba State Correspondent, in Jalingo)
The students of Taraba State University have raised strong objections against the school authorities for allegedly being made to pay school fees 4 times this academic year (from January to November 2021).
The angry students in an open letter to the Taraba state government on the situation, complained that most students barely survive the current hardship already worsened by the economic situation in the country.
According to the letter, it read: "Here in Taraba State University, we pay school fee every semester! This year in particular, Students of Taraba State University paid school fee 4 times (from January to November)
"As for these two Faculties, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Law, indigenes pay N102, 000 naira annually while Non-indigenes pays #151, 500 naira (annually).
"Imagine being forced to pay such amount of money four times in a year...(sounds weird and inhuman right?). To worsen the situation, a few of these Students struggle a lot to get their school fees, feed and accommodate themselves. An average rent (a poor man's rent here is #30,000 naira), while other parents have to sweat out to raise the school fees, house rent, and feeding money for their child(ren).
"In a recent drama that occurred, students were denied writing their last examinations because of school fees, while others in the various levels were fetched-out like uncircumcised gentiles!
"It's high time the management know that our parents don't print money or have trees where they grow "money". No child will have the money and refuse to pay.
"As it is, politicians' children and other wealthy parents' kids are not in this school. This is where we call "FAMILY UNIVERSITY" and 97% of the students here are Tarabans.
"After a student graduates, there is what we call clearance, he/she must clear every debt(s) before he/she gets the award of bachelor's degree! No student will escape this, not even by magic nor by any form of juju!
"It will be much of a great relief if the state government bill intervene and save us students and our parents from this kind of extortion and financial burden", the students lamented. NNL.
