Schools Reopening: Give Students Monetary Stimulus Or Forgo Tuition Fees, Jumu’ah Appeals To Buhari, Governors, Others

A political analyst and social commentator, Jumu’ah Abiodun, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governors of the 36 states of the federation to give Nigerian tertiary institutions students financial stimulus or forgo this session’s school fees.

Jumu’ah in his appeal made through an open letter addressed to President Buhari copied the Nigeria Governors’ Forum through their Chairman, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives said its important for them to provide this stimulus in order to save many of the students from dropping out of schools due to financial crisis ravaging them.

Others copied in his letter are the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemaka Uwajuiba, National Association of Nigeria Students, National Association of Polytechnics Students and National Board for Technical Education.

The activist explained that lots of parents are facing economic hardship despite gradual phases of reopening of the economy from the global lockdown.

He explained further to the federal and state governments that properties owners are not to be blamed because most of them built their properties with loan.

He therefore enjoined the government to increase the testing capacity as majority of confirmed cases and the deaths toll reported are for influential people in the country.

The full letter read:
AN APPEAL FOR STIMULUS FOR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS STUDENTS OR FORGO CURRENT SESSION SCHOOL FEES

AN APPEAL FOR STIMULUS FOR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS STUDENTS OR FORGO CURRENT SESSION SCHOOL FEES

As-salamu Alaykum Your Excellency Sir, let me start by introducing myself, my name is Jumu’ah Abiodun, a Political Analyst, Social Commentator, Journalist and a Concerned Citizen of this great country.

Your Excellency Sir, without wasting so much of your time reading my letter, let me go straight to the point.

Mr President Sir, I will like to commend you, your Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Chairman of your COVID-19 Taskforce Team, Boss Mustapha, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and their wonderful teams for your great effort in fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria. Believe me Your Excellency Sir, we are in this together.

Don’t let me forget my special greetings to those medical teams, caregivers, journalists and men of Nigeria Police Force specifically Lagos State Command led by CP Hakeem Odumosu and Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad they have been wonderful during the lockdown. “Ooin you are all doing well”

The main objective of my Open Letter is to appeal to you to provide financial stimulus or forgo current session fees for all federal tertiary institutions students in Nigeria.

Your Excellency Sir, looking at the current economic situation of this country ravaging on us by the COVID-19 pandemic, you will agree with me that so many students will drop out of school due to not able to pay their fees.

Mr President Sir, it has come to my attention that some properties owners are already sending messages to students for renewal of their various hostels, by and large, Your Excellency Sir, we can’t blame some of these properties owners as most of them are on the mortgage plan, some survive, feed and finance their own wards school fees through their investment.

Mr President Sir, by doing this, I use the opportunity to appeal to you to meet Nigeria Governors’ so as for them to initiate this in their respective states with their various state universities, polytechnics and monotecnics.

May the peace and blessing of Allah be with you and your family Mr President Sir.

Ma Salaam

Yours faithfully

Jumu’ah Abiodun

8th July, 2020

CC:

Presidency

Nigeria Governors’ Forum

Minister of Education

Minister of State for Education

National Association of Nigeria Students

National Association Of Polytechnics Students

National Board for Technical Education