No fewer than 704 students of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto have petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Sokoto zonal office to investigate the reasons behind the failure of the Special Adviser on Students’ Matters to the state governor, Abubakar Muhammad Salame, to offset their tuition fees.
The students also appealed to the state governor, Dr Ahmed Aliyu, to intervene in the payment of their registration fees in a bid to save their academic career.
The students who are indigene of the state accused Salame of allegedly diverting their portion of the fees for his personal use.
Arewa story teller Recalls that the state governor, Dr Ahmed Aliyu, had upon assumption of office as the governor of the state assured that payment of tuition fees of students of the state origin will be one of his agenda on education.
press centre on Wednesday, the leader of the group, Usman Yahuza, said the state government approved the payment of tuition fees for 5,994 indigent students of the institution out of which 5,290 of the students were registered, leaving a shortfall of 704 students.
The 5,994 students were verified by officials designated by the special adviser between 14th to 18th May, 2024.
“Out of the total number of students for which the tuition fees were approved, the Special Adviser paid the tuition fees of 5,290 students in three batches and left the tuition fees of the remaining 704 students yet unpaid which has led them to unnecessary hardship in the course of their studies.”
He further explained that while some of the affected students had to defer their admission, few of them withdrew their admission as they could not meet up with the payment, while others were given temporary identity cards to enable them write the ongoing semester examinations.
When Arewa PUNCH contacted the Special Adviser, he said that he would respond to all the allegations at the appropriate time.