Following the sudden increase in the school fees of the newly admitted students into the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)... A student of Food Science and Technology in the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology ( SAAT) has shown his concern by writing the VC of the school an open letter.

The first glance at the breakdown of school fees payable by students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure aroused my 'gratitude hormone'. I was happy that I was not part of the newly admitted crop of student for if I was, I will have no option than to defer my admission. You sure will not understand what I mean but I bet you will reason with me.
Looking back home, I see my weak and old
septuagenarian father who even though is long due for retirement, still works on the peasant farm with
which he has thus far raised his children. My mother; a co-workaholic with his husband, is a farming trader. She will be 60 this year but still in active service! My five elder siblings (all graduates) are not all gainfully employed and the one under the payroll of the Government has not been paid November salary! Don't ask me about any of my Uncles, Aunts or relatives because they are all more "humble" than us. Besides, my Dad is the Head of the Family!
With this 'tushed up' picture of my background,
please tell me sir, how do you think I will be able to
raise N45,000 or N55,000 Acceptance Fee + N83,
900 School Fee? How? 'Biko gwa m'. That alone is
N128,900 or N138,900 depending on your batch of
admission. Please note that this do not include
accommodation, books, and other learning materials. So, I was grateful for coming in earlier until I discovered that I am such a GREAT FOOL! I am a suspected idiot for having the gut to take a sigh of
relief after passing through a door that has just been shut against thousands of my less privileged
colleagues. How was I so selfish and inconsiderate? These people deserve to enter too! Yes, they deserve education! Hmm! It's such a pity that we have a once-upon-a-time shoeless man who bagged a PhD and also got himself a good job at the Presidential villa but is now far less concerned even if the children of the average men can no longer afford the benefit he enjoyed freely as a poor boy. "Dia ris God!" 'Dia rin't He?'
Prof AGD sir, how far? How come you -a professor
of Agricultural Economics, do not know that the
Nigerian economy is not Agriculture friendly? Sir, the Economists that I've known so far are very frugal and prudent to fault. They manage and reduce cost. But we have seen you over the last three years increased the school fees from N23,900 to N48,900. It stood at that amount for the second year and now, it is N83,900! 'Maka why' sir?
Sir, each student of the last two sets were made to
pay "Developmental Fee" of N25,000 but we have
not experienced any development. Except that the
Shuttle buses' route was changed when you can no
longer bear their presence near your office, I can't
point out any development. Same lecture theatres
that accommodates 1,750 students even though it is a 750 capacity hall. Same old structures -now getting more dilapidated due to over usage. The laboratories are ill equipped. The library is more of a museum that holds a collection of old books.
Bravo! You completed the 2,500 capacity Auditorium started by your predecessor, built a new Senate Building, built a centre for entrepreneur and skill acquisition, went into international partnership that gives a 'scholarship' that enables students of some department continue their study abroad, renovated
roads, what else? Yes, you've done a lot but all these could have been done with the FGN allocation and the school's IGR without the students having to pay through their noses!
Sir, I hereby challenge you to:
*publish the school's statements of account in a
recognised newspaper before the end of the first
quarter of 2015 to assure us that our parents' hard
earned money were properly spent! If not, we all
have the right to believe that you are milking us dry!
*build more lecture theatres, renovate the old ones,
equip the laboratories and library, renovate the halls of residence (especially Akindeko), provide enabling environment for learning and re-orientate your members of staff to stop treating Futarians like Nursery School pupils.
*encourage entrepreneurship for real rather than
hypocritically shout "technology for self reliance"
with nothing to show for it.
Oh, I'm aware of the FUTA-Branded China made iPad that is to be given to the freshmen. It is indeed a good one sir! They will be better able to learn with it. They will also be updated and informed. Great idea, I must confess. Good as the idea seems, I have issues with it.
1. Internet Access: let me first say "thank you!" for
making all FUTA powered websites free with
wireless connection. A good number of Futarians are better able to access our websites without having to pay. But sir, learning is subjective and wild. Everything needed for comprehensive learning can therefore not be on our website hence the need to make reference to other websites. How do you intend to cater for the purposeful browsing need of those who acquire this device?
2. Ours -as you may have known, is a generation
that has an insatiable appetite for the media and
inseparable bond with social networks and to a large extent, the advantages are at par with the
disadvantages -all things being equal. Unfortunately, majority of the young folks as you may have noticed also, are either addicted or semi-addicted to social networks and the media. These have made the balance between merit and demerit of internet usage swing towards the demerit. I therefore state with all conviction that the iPad will stand as their worst distraction point. What has been or will be put in place to checkmate the excesses?
3. N35,000 is such a whooping amount of money to 6 out of every 10 Nigerians! With the poverty line
stamped at 60.9%, only 36.1% of the Nigerian
populace will spend same amount or more in a year!
Sir, won't it be rather inconsiderate to ask for the
"annual budget allocation" of a whole family for the
purpose of giving just one of them a device?
4. Why was the device made compulsory when such things are -as at last check, regarded as luxurious products? I sincerely think the decision to acquire such device should be left in the hands of parents or guardian who are to pay for it.
On a final note sir, I will have you know that these
issues raised are in no attempt to disrespect you, but a cry from a bleeding heart of a poor farmer's son.
Please do the needful and on time.
# OpenLettertoFUTAVCbyIfeanyiKOH
Thanks
UDEH Caleb Ifeanyi KOH,
Food Science and Technology Department.
cc: Alese Boniface Kayode
Titilayo Femi Kings
Tijani Usman Shehu
Ayenuro Timileyin Gbenga
Ashola Oluwaseun Daniel

https://m.facebook.com/IfeanyiKOH