The Council of Higher Institutions (COHI) has criticised the hike in acceptance fee and indigene verification charges by the management of the Lagos State University (LASU).

COHI, which is an organ of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, made the disclosure in a statement signed by its Coordinator, AbdulWaasi’ Muddaththir.

The body noted that the said fee to be paid by students was against the current fee regime of the institution, which was just reversed from the previous over 250,000 naira to its initial 25,000 naira.

“It would be recalled that the management had on Monday released a bulletin via its website, stating that the successfully admitted students should within a week pay a non-refundable acceptance fee of 20,000 naira and indigeneship verification fee of 5,000 naira.

“Whereas the acceptance fee increased from 10,000 naira to 20,000 naira, the verification fee rose to 5,000 naira from 1,000 naira.‎ The increment in the fees may lead to chaos and another closure of the institution which has just been witnessing calmness after several years of unease, if care is not ‎taken.”

The group asked, “Of what benefit is it to the government to deny students of having access to education? Why should a whooping sum of 5,000 naira be collected from indigenes?”

The council alleged that the move by the institution was a means to strategically return to the unbearable fee of over 1,000% increment.

“If an administration at its early stage can introduce an unjustifiable increment in acceptance and verification fees, then there are high tendencies that the same government may return to the obnoxious 1,000 percent increment later reversed by the same All Progressives Congress-led administration,” the body added.

COHI also urged the LASU management to extend the time for payment of the normal fee beyond one week so as to enable indigents pay. (Channels TV)