The Federal University Gusau (FU Gusau) is facing a serious crisis that may force over 2,500 students to drop out of school. This is according to the President of Zamfara State Students Association of the university (ZAMSSA), Comrade Haliru Ibrahim.
Comrade Ibrahim revealed this shocking information while speaking to newsmen at the university premises.
He said that the recent increase in school fees by the management of FU Gusau had made it impossible for many indigenous students to afford their education.
He explained that the school fees had been increased from N25,000 to N63,000 for indigenes and from N40,000 to N75,000 for non-indigenes. He added that this was a huge burden for many students who were already struggling with the economic challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.
He appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal and other stakeholders in Zamfara State to intervene and rescue the students from dropping out.
He said that the students were willing to pay a reasonable amount of school fees, but not at the expense of their basic needs and welfare.
He also advised the students to look for part-time jobs or other sources of income to support their education. He said that ZAMSSA was working hard to secure scholarships and bursaries for its members, but they were not enough to cater for all the students.
He urged the management of FU Gusau to reconsider its decision and reduce the school fees to a more affordable level. He said that FU Gusau was established to provide quality education for the people of Zamfara State and beyond, and not to exclude them due to financial constraints.
He warned that if the situation was not addressed urgently, many students would drop out of school and join the ranks of unemployed youths in the state. He said that this would have negative consequences for the security and development of Zamfara State and Nigeria at large.