The Management of Federal University Lokoja has heeded the pleas of students and parents to reconsider the decision on the newly reviewed school charges approved to take effect from the next academic session.
The reconsideration followed an extensive meeting with the Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Chris Adighije, and attended by members of the University Management led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, including other relevant stakeholders and student union bodies.
The Student Union Government (SUG) President-elect, Comrade Agada Idoko Achiever, appealed to the management to reconsider its approval on the new charges and review it downward considering the prevailing economic situation.
Achiever drew the attention of the management to the fact that most parents and guardians within Kogi State are predominantly civil servants who would find it more difficult to sponsor their children for tertiary education in the University.
He equally presented the Union’s proposed new charges on behalf of the student community for consideration during the meeting while thanking the Chairman for extending an olive branch to the student body and trusting in his wisdom to guide the deliberation for the peace and progress of the University.
In his reaction, the Chairman of Council who was a member of the FGN Committee tasked to renegotiate ASUU and other University-based Unions’ 2009 agreements in March 2022, sympathized with the students and their parents over the unavailable development which he said was not peculiar to FUL alone.
He emphasized that the increment was inevitable and predicated on the poor financial state of the University, and the desire to produce quality students who would be able to compete favourably with their counterparts in other countries.
Consequently, after extensive deliberation with a critical look at each item in the reviewed school charges which lasted for hours, and back and forth negotiations, the following new payments were arrived at for the undergraduate students of the University.
Fresh Students:
* Faculties of Science & Education – N122,500.00
* Other Faculties – N117,500.00
Returning Students:
* Faculties of Science & Education – N61,500.00
* Other Faculties – N61,000.00
The new charges as earlier reported will take effect from the 2022/2023 academic session (not the current 2021/2022 session), and Management also approved that the payments can be made in installments of 60% and 40% for the first and second semesters respectively.
The Chairman, however, noted that he would forward the resolutions to Council and hope that the decisions would be upheld and ratified by other Council members.
