Date: 2017-10-24

Both fresh and returning students of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin have bemoaned the alleged increase in school fees of the institution for the 2017/18 academic session.

The institution is scheduled to begin a new academic session today, (Monday) following the release of admission list of new intakes last week.

However, some of the returning students have described the new school fees reportedly posted on the institution's portal on October 6, 2017, as “outrageous and an attempt to deny many Kwarans access to education."

According to information obtained from the institution's portal, indigent students who paid N32, 500 last academic session are now expected to pay the sum of N52, 500 while non-indigenes will part with N75,000 instead of the N32,090 they paid into the institution’s coffers a year ago.

Confirming the increase, a returning student who simply identified himself as Kayode said, "As a non-indigene of the state, I paid the sum of N32,090 as a new intake last year but I am surprised with the N75,500 being quoted on the school's portal for the 2017/18 academic session."

Kayode appealed to the state government and the management of the institution for a review of the charges.

Also, one Comrade Jaji, rejected the alleged increase on the social media, saying, "The sky rocket school fees is an unjustifiable exploitation and extortion of the Kwara Polytechnic students."

He added that such development and other policies formulated by the leadership of the institution will deny over 80 per cent of Kwara indigenes from accessing education in their home state.

Similarly, another student of the institution who pleaded anonymity called on the management to revert to the fees paid in the last academic session to avert any breakdown of law and order.

"We implore the management, the Rector and every concerned stakeholder to come to the rescue of the students whose larger percentage are from poor homes. Else we will come out in numbers to protest peacefully against their tyranny and oppression. The protests will be the mother of all protest Kwara State polytechnic as ever witnessed."

Reacting to the alleged increment, the Director of Information of the institution, Alhaji Moshood Amuda, debunked any such development saying, "The school officially resumes tomorrow (Monday) and until the school is opened, such report remains a rumour.

"How are you sure the portal where such information emanated from is that of the school,” he said even as he urged our reporter to visit the institution as soon as it resumed to confirm the alleged increment.