Shocking!!! Shekarau Speaks On Why FG approves nine new private Universities

The Federal Government on Wednesday approved the
establishment on nine new private universities in the
country.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Federal
Executive Council presided over by Vice President
Namadi Sambo.
President Goodluck Jonathan traveled to Sokoto
where he attended the 90th birthday of former
President Shehu Shagari.
The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka; the
Minister of State, Finance, Ambassador Bashir
Yuguda; the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah
Ochekpe; and the Minister of Education, Mallam
Ibrahim Shekarau, briefed State House
correspondents at the end of the meeting.
Chidoka listed the new universities as Augustine
University, Ilara, Lagos State; Chrisland University,
Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe,
Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun
State; Kings University, Ode Omu, Osun State;
Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode, Delta
State; Mountain Top University, Ogun State, Ritman
University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and Summit
University, Ofa, Kwara State.
When asked what the Federal Government was doing
to stop some private universities from charging
exorbitant fees, Shekarau said the government was
helpless.
He said like private hospitals or nursery schools,
owners of private universities were free to charge
fees that would give returns on their investments.
The minister said the only concern of the government
was to ensure that the schools were of standard in
terms of facilities and staffing among others.
He said the saving grace was that all Federal
Government-owned universities were tuition-free.
He said, "As far as the government is concerned, all
Federal Government universities are tuition-free.
Whatever the universities are charging is so minimal
for some day-to-day activities: sports fees, union fees
and some other fees.
"Of recent, I had cause to ask the National
Universities Commission to regulate tuition in public
universities because there is a university that is
charging as low as N20,000, N15,000. Some charge
between N30,000 and N80,000 or so which is a
composition of a number of different kinds of fees.
But basically, no university owned by government is
charging tuition fee.
"But the private universities are like any other private
institutions: private primary schools, private
secondary schools. All that is the responsibility of
government is to ensure that the standards are
maintained.
"We are to ensure that they are operating within the
minimum required standard, and that is the
responsibility of the NUC in terms of their facilities,
staffing and so on.
"The accreditation of any universities or courses has
nothing to do with the fees they charge just like the
private hospitals.
"Government really does not have anything to do as
far as what the private institutions are charging.
Tuition is free in public schools."