The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s Student Loan Bill, which was passed into law, may harm millions of prospective students whose only option for acquiring information is through tuition-free higher education institutions.
During a conversation with journalists, ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke mentioned this.
According to news reports, President Tinubu signed the measure into law on Monday, fulfilling one of his campaign promises.
UPDATE: Bola Tinubu Signs Student Loan Bill Into Law
While some Nigerians have praised the president for sticking to his words, others have condemned him.
In an interview with Daily Trust about the measure, Osodeke stated that introducing tuition fees in a country where more than 133 million people live below the poverty line would be unproductive.
“Every Nigerian should know what is going to happen next and there may likely be another bill waiting for signature that will introduce tuition fees. If the bill indicated that the loan is to pay tuition fees and there are no tuition fees in Nigerian universities, then what is your next approach?” ASUU president said.
He observed that the measure is not new, disclosing how the union opposed it when it was brought up by previous President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Osodeke, on the other hand, stated that the union has yet to obtain an accurate copy of the bill signed by Tinubu, and that it is necessary to obtain and examine it.
UPDATE: ASUU Rejects Student Loan Bill Signed Into Law By Tinubu
He said: “We have said long ago, in 2017, to President Buhari when they came up with the issue of tuition fees, that every student will pay N1 million and we said you cannot put that in our agreement and you cannot use that to negotiate with us and with the nature of the country we have today, there is no way that will work.”
“What will happen is that the majority of students whose parents cannot afford it will pull out of school in anger and you know what that means? They will fight society back. But let us get the correct information first before knowing the next steps.”
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