By Martin Paul
Abuja
The House of Representatives has asked its Committees on Education (Basic and Tertiary) to intervene in the compulsory N75, 000 laptop fee charged students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The House unanimously took the decision following a motion under matters of urgent public importance sponsored by Rep. Bashir Babale (APC-Kano).
Moving the motion, Babale decried the university’s policy on compulsory payment of N75, 000 as laptop fee for the newly admitted students.
The university administration recently introduced a policy, which requires every student to own a laptop.
“This policy is arbitrary, inhuman and so sad that they are making access to education difficult for the people.
“Nigerians are anxious to study in order to contribute to the growth of the nation but this policy makes it difficult,’’ Babale said.
The legislator, who pointed out that education remains a vehicle for national development, stressed the need to correct imbalance in education.
According to him, many citizens are living below the poverty line and students will find it difficult to pay the compulsory laptop fee.
Babale added that the call to stop the fee became necessary in order not to deprive Nigerians access to quality education.
“In a situation where young people are complaining of educational imbalance, how can an institution come up with this kind of policy?’’ he asked.
Babale further decried the situation where some tertiary institutions in the country solely depended on students to fund their activities.
“Students are paying fees to construct roads and culverts in the universities.
“When we open the doors to schools, we shut the door of prisons,’’ he said.
The Speaker of the assembly, Rep. Yakubu Dogara, referred the matter to the House Committee on Education for further legislative action.
