Open Letter To His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde: An Appeal To Reconsider Recent Tuition Increase
Dear Governor Seyi Makinde,
In the last 48 hours, I have received various distressed messages and calls expressing deep concern over the recent increase in tuition fees at Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa. After verifying the details myself, I was genuinely perplexed.
As a young person committed to distinguishing fact from fiction, I decided to compare tuition fees across other institutions in Oyo State. From what I observed, Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic is not the only institution experiencing such increase, though the burden on students and families has undoubtedly grown across the board. This is particularly challenging for many families in today’s difficult economic climate.
Your Excellency, I have known you over the years to be considerate and passionate about the well-being of students and the youth. Yesterday’s announcement of ₦80,000 minimum wage is a testament to your dedication to supporting workers across the state, and this is truly commendable. Yet, the reality is that most parents of these students are civil servants, drivers, traders, and artisans—hardworking individuals who are already struggling to cope with the rising cost of living and yet still managing to send their wards to school. Some have two or three children spread across AOPE, Lautech, The Polytechnic Ibadan, among others.
Your Excellency, we share a common vision for our state: an Oyo State where students are not forced out of school due to financial hardship, where education remains accessible, and where our youth are not pushed into social vices because of systemic barriers. We do not want a generation of out-of-school students who may be more susceptible to becoming a social burden.
In this light, I respectfully appeal to you, not only for my alma mater but the entire state-owned institutions, to reconsider the recent hikes in tuition fees. Reducing these fees would relieve countless families and reaffirm your commitment to accessible education for all.
Your intervention on this matter would be a powerful statement that the government of Oyo State remains committed to education as a priority and an investment in the future of our youth.
Thank you for your continued leadership, and for your consideration of this appeal.
Respectfully,
Oluwafemi Ogunshola
Alumnus, Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa
7/11/2024
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