Students should be given grants, not loan scheme — Bauchi ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Bauchi zone has reechoed that ASUU as a body rejects the idea of student loans but rather, student grants instead of loans which should not be paid back.

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The declaration was made in a speech delivered by the ASUU Bauchi Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Lazarus Maigoro, on the occasion of the award of the Indigent Scholarship to University Undergraduate Students in Bauchi Zone held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi on Saturday, 2nd December 2023.

According to him, “The question is, who will pay the loan? What is the fate of those who cannot access it? The psychological trauma the students will be subjected to due to the loan while still in their studies will affect their performance negatively.

“The thought that they will graduate with a loan of N4 million and above without the capacity to pay back is another psychological torture on them.

“Furthermore, those who cannot access the loan due to the stringent conditions attached virtually means dropping out of school. Currently, given the hike in school fees or charges in public Universities all over the country, many students have not been able to resume.

“ASUU Bauchi Zone is working on getting the statistics of Students who may likely drop out of school at the end of the current session with the hope of making the government review its decision on the issue of the loan and replace it with grants.

“I can authoritatively say without mincing words, that as we teach these students in the classrooms, we notice quite a number who are distressed due to the very harsh economic realities of our country.

“In the case of Federal Universities, the government seems to have abandoned its constitutional responsibility of funding Universities and left it at the discretion of the various governing councils of the universities to review it at will thereby making some students drop out of school.

“One of the reasons ASUU went on strike in 2022 for 8 months was to make the government live up to its responsibilities of funding university education but unfortunately, parents and students did not support the Union to fight this menace collectively and now, students and parents have become victims of what ASUU tried to prevent.

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“For this year, 2023, ASUU Bauchi zone is giving 19 indigent students scholarship apart from the 12 already awarded by ASUU National in the 6 Universities that constitutes Bauchi zone,” he added.

ASUU Bauchi zone therefore called on other well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of indigent students by complementing what ASLU is doing which will further assist more indigent students to be able to acquire University education.

He stressed “We also call on the federal government to rescind its decision on the student loan scheme and replace it with grants instead.”

He explained that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has earmarked the 12 of November every year tagged “Heroes Day” to celebrate members of the Union who have made heavy sacrifices while serving the Union.

“Some of them like the late Festus Iyayi of the University of Benin, and David Jangkam of the University of Jos died while on our union assignment while others like Prof Suleiman Abubakar of ATBU were recognised as living heroes for their contributions to the union.

“This year’s (2023) event was celebrated at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Kaduna. At the event, the National body of our Union awarded the sum of N200,000 to two indigent students in all the Public Universities in Nigeria while branches on their own awarded scholarships to other indigent students in their various universities apart from that of the national.

“It is based on this reason that the entire leadership and the awardees of both the national and the branch recipients of the scholarship award are gathered here to replicate what was done in Kaduna State University during the ‘Heroes Day on 12th November 2023’.

“ASUU, as a Union decided to initiate this yearly scholarship award because the Union is aware of the predicament of the indigent students who are sometimes prevented from writing examinations based on not being able to pay their school fees/charges as the case may be thereby truncating their future.

“It is worthy noting that many students have dropped out of school due to the inability of their parents to pay their school fees or charges. This indigent student’s scholarship funded solely by ASUB effort at the national level or branch level has continued to support students towards the attainment of their educational objectives.”

Earlier in his welcome remarks, ATBU Branch Chairperson, Comrade Ibrahim Inuwa assured that ASUU will continue to act as a socially responsible Union by fighting for the collective interest of quality tertiary education.

He stressed that the scholarship award which is a yearly event will always seek out brilliant but indigent students for recognition and award.

Some of the benefitting students commended ASUU for the kind gesture saying that without the award, they would have dropped out of school.