Nigerian activist lawyer, Femi Falana has asked universities to suspend plans to increase student tuition fees.
Falana made the call on Thursday in a statement signed by Tayo Soyemi on behalf of Falana and Falana Chambers.
The right advocate said Nigerians have been impoverished by the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.
His reaction follows reports that some universities, like the University of Lagos, hiked tuition fees for new and returning undergraduate students.
The institution, in a statement last Friday, said, “After careful deliberations with its stakeholders (students, parents/guardians, staff unions, alumni, among others), the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Management has reviewed the obligatory fees (mandatory charges for an academic session/year) of new and returning undergraduate students of the University.
“The adjustment in fees, which will take effect from the 1st Semester, 2023/2024 Academic Session, is in view of the prevailing economic realities and the need for the University to be able to meet its obligations to its students, staff and municipal service providers among others.”
However, Falana, in his reaction, noted that “Since the federal government has not lifted the 1975 policy which abolished the payment of tuition fees in federal tertiary institutions, the federal universities lack the power to impose astronomical tuition fees on students.”
“The payment of school fees in junior secondary schools is illegal as Section 2 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act and Section 15 of the Child’s Rights Act have imposed a legal obligation on the federal and state governments to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child from primary to junior secondary level.
“We have noted that the governments have not taken cognizance of the plight of physically challenged people in the implementation of the new education policy. It is pertinent to point out that it is illegal to collect school fees from physically challenged students.”