Fee hike row: Kaduna varsity resumes academic activities after two weeks

The Kaduna State University (KASU) has directed new and returning students to resume for the 2020/2021 academic session — about two weeks after it suspended activities indefinitely. 

According to NAN, Samuel Manshop, the varsity’s registrar, broke the news in a statement on Tuesday.

The institution added that parents and guardians of all new and returning students must sign an undertaking that their children would be of good behaviour.

“The management of Kaduna state university wishes to notify staff, students and the public that academic activities for the 2020/2021 academic session have commenced with effect from Tuesday,” it read.

“Furthermore, the parents and guardians of all fresh and returning students are expected to sign an undertaking at the respective departments of their children and wards. The undertaking shall indicate that the children will be of good behaviour.”

The varsity had on June 8 suspended academic activities for its undergraduate students indefinitely but did not give any reason for the move at the time.

Manshop, however, revealed then that academic activities would continue for postgraduate programmes, college of medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, and part-time programmes.

The development had come amid protest over the state government’s decision to increase the tuition fees of students from the range of N24,000 and N26,000 to N150,000 in April.

Hadiza Balarabe, deputy governor of the state, had earlier said the fee hike was necessary to sustain the varsity.

“We understand the pain, we are also pained but sometimes, some decisions are taken for the betterment of the generality of the people,” Balarabe had said. 

“We want Kaduna state students to hold their heads high wherever they might be and be proud to represent Kaduna.”