In a recent interview, the spokesperson of Federal Polytechnic Offa,
Olayinka Iroye, announced that the school authorities had eradicated
all forms of corruption and that no one sells handouts to students no
matter the condition.
“Management of the Federal Polytechnic Offa headed by Dr Lateef
Olatunji has eradicated all forms of corruption and malpractices, and
machinery have been put in place to curb and check every form of
indiscipline by both staff and students,” the spokesperson stated.
“For the benefit of the doubt, sale of handouts has been banned for
more than two decades at the Polytechnic and no lecturer sells handout
to students no matter the situation”, Iroye further boasted.
However, an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES over weeks revealed the
reality to be the opposite of Mr Iroye’s words. Students are still
being compelled to buy handouts among other corrupt practices.
The Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, a polytechnic in
north-central Nigeria operates on two campuses. The mini campus is in
Offa and the permanent site is located in Ojoku, about 36 kilometers
from the former.
With six faculties, the school runs Ordinary National Diploma (OND)
and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes.
For students of this institution and their parents, it has been
unending lamentations emanating from constant, mostly illegal requests
for payments.
An average student in FEDPOFFA pays levies in their double figures
annually. Such payments include; departmental student associations’
fees, faculty students’ associations’ fees, departmental levy, faculty
levy, maintenance of some facilities, religious groups’ fees,
indigenous association fees, general course fees and many more.
This reporter confirmed from several students that failure to pay and
submit receipts of any of these levies usually lead to reprimand from
registration officers of departments. In most cases, this leads to
incomplete registration and ultimately withholding of results.
The receipts issued for the 2,200 naira paid at the Institute of
Continuing Education, Federal Polytechnic Offa.
“When I got to the registration officer’s office, some receipts like
three were converted into one for reasons best known to them – because
they have similar specifications. He even sent some students out
because of these students’ association receipts,” an HND 1 student of
Mechanical Engineering said.
“If you want them to approve your kits in my department, you have to
present nine compulsory receipts. Without them, your kit will not be
approved and your results won’t be released,” Oluwadare a student at
the department of Business Administration also said.
This reporter also sighted receipts of payment made by ND1 student of
Mass Communication Department for the 2018/2019 session. The payments
amounts to N13,000 at various points after the student had paid the
school fees of N30, 000 and an acceptance fee of N15,000. The student
prefers not to be named for fear of victimisation.
A breakdown of the 12 receipts shows that N700 is for School of
Communication and Information Technology (SCIT), N1,000 for National
Association of Mass Communication Students, N200 for bus maintenance,
N1,500 for book reading levy, N1,500 for practical manual, N1,000 for
National Association of Communication and Information Technology
Students (NACITS), N200 for Joint Christian Campus Mission, N500 for
National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS), N200 for the
Departmental Christian Fellowship and N500 for biodata form at the
Directorate of Students’ Affairs.
Similarly, Olalekan Muyiwa, a student of the Department of Computer
Science, stated that he spent over N10,000 on the receipts deemed
compulsory by the registration officer. His payments were for similar
items as those of the ND1 student.
Sanmi Oluwadare, who travels 15 kilometers daily to the main campus
for lectures, complained bitterly about the outrageous fees.
He said, “If I tell you the amount I have spent so far, you will pity
me. It is even worse when you get to HND. On handouts for this last
semester alone, I have spent N15, 000. I have not mentioned that of
receipts.”
He added that even when a student’s state does not have an association
on campus, he or she must claim another one in order to have a state’s
association receipt to present for registration process.
Practices by officials of the polytechnic contravene dictates of the
school regulations as contained in the students’ handbook. Although
the school authorities encourage students to participate in
extracurricular activities including religious and cultural groups,
membership is voluntary.
Also, contrary to the current practices, the only criterion required
for students to complete their semester registration is the payment of
tuition fees and the acceptance fee (for fresh students). None of the
levies imposed by students’ associations, religious groups, faculties
and departmental levies were mentioned as criteria.
Sometimes, students pay higher than what is reflected in their
receipt. After some complaints, this reporter disguised as a student,
visited the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) to pay N2,200, a
payment compulsory for all part-time students. Only N2,000 was
recorded on the receipt issued. The lady drafted to collect the money
said the N200 was for agent banking fee and this does not reflect on
receipts.
Also at the Division of Students Affairs, this reporter witnessed how
students are made to pay N600 for a bio-data form while only N500 is
reflected on the receipt.
In 2016, the federal government announced that all federal agencies
must operate the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy in a bid to
fully implement the policy. This forbids government parastatals,
ministries, departments and agencies from operating a bank account
outside the single account. As a federal institution, all financial
transactions by FEDPOFFA and its departments are meant to end in the
TSA. However, school officials have devised a means of by-passing the
system.
Finding by this newspaper indicates that the officials connive with
micro-finance banks within the polytechnic. PREMIUM TIMES found five
of them in Offa namely; Stockorp, Sincere, Ibolo, Citizen Trust and
Ours
The massive extortion would not have been successful if it was not
done in connivance with the banks, who run an agent deposit system at
designated spots on the campuses.
The money collected from students are paid into various accounts
designated for each levy.
Under the TSA, all government payments for services and revenue
collections are done through one account known as Consolidated Revenue
Fund/Treasury Single Account (CRF/TSA) domiciled with the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN).
The sums of money collected by the micro-finance banks at the
polytechnic never end up in the TSA.
A top official in one of the microfinance banks, who sought anonymity
to protect his job, said that the departmental and faculties’
authorities levy the students out of greed.
“These departments prepare their annual budgets and present to the
school for funding from the federal government and they still end up
billing the students in the name of development fee and others. I must
say that they collect too much. At least, we are the ones who collect
on their behalf,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the school’s spokesperson said that he is not aware that a
fee is charged at the faculty level, but he is not ignorant of the
departmental fee.
“We have what we call departmental fees approved by the academic
board. There is no institution where they don’t pay departmental fees.
Academic board stipulates what they must pay. There is a benchmark and
it varies across different departments,” he explained.
“Departmental due is something the management has sealed with all the
departmental HODs. According to the management, the amount has been
pegged at N1,500,” he stated further.
For students to offer English Language as a general course at both the
OND and HND levels, they must purchase registration forms sold for
N500. Similarly at the Department of Social Sciences, there is a
compulsory payment of N500 for some courses offered.
Citizenship Studies and Sociology are also two general courses in the
Department of Social Sciences with such enforced payments. Students
are compelled to pay N500.
This reporter obtained multiple receipts from students who lodged
complaints to serve as evidence.
This newspaper also gathered that lecturers deny students who fail to
pay these fees access to examinations and tests. A student said, “I
was in a class one day when the lecturer told those who have not paid
not to write the test. He added that even if they write, they wouldn’t
see the result.”
Also, textbooks are sold to students in Citizenship Studies and
English Language class for N1200 each. Many students confirmed that
the course coordinators threaten students with failure if they refuse
to buy.
Meanwhile, the school spokesperson in his response, did not deny the
existence of these general courses’ fees.
“There is no way you will not pay for General Studies. In General
Studies, they don’t sell textbooks just anyhow. They have different
courses in the department of languages and they don’t write books as
individuals. I am aware but it is approved by the academic board.”
“In the General Studies, they don’t have students whereas; they have
their own laboratories and other facilities.”
He, however, reiterated that the fees are not compulsory, but the
lecturers only threaten the students so as to encourage them to pay.
The spokesperson also kept mute when asked about the sum approved by the board.
Even with illegal payments, students are worried about the state of
infrastructure the monies were purportedly collected to provide.
“I’ve been paying for Christian fellowships since my ND days and, up
till now, we still gather on Fridays under trees for worship. What is
the essence of the N300 collected from every Christian student,” Wale,
an HND1 student, lamented.
Students of Mass Communication Department who were made to cough out
N1,500 for a publication named ‘Book of Reading and Practical Manual’,
said they were never given copies of the book.
“Everyone in the department paid for the book but no practical manual
was issued neither was any book given,” a student who did not want his
name mentioned lamented.
Even though this complaint cut across students from different levels,
Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Binta Oloyede, assured
that he will commence the distribution of the materials to students.
“Now we have the materials ready and we will commence distribution
next Wednesday,” he announced to PREMIUM TIMES in July. However, the
students have not gotten the materials at the time of filing this
report.
Students’ union stance
In a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the Students’ Union
Government (SUG) President, Muritala Saheed, said that the association
levies should be voluntary. He, however, admits the fees are being
made compulsory by departmental heads.
“Before we came on board, there were departments and faculties that
have started collecting all these fees. Now it will be so difficult
for us to tell them to refund the money. All the money being paid by
students should be voluntary and not mandatory.
“From this regime, we have been to the hospital to pay some students’
bills. We have been to the police station to bail some students
without even asking for their dues. So, it is not mandatory,” said.
Claiming to be handicapped in doing something because his tenure is
almost over, Mr Saheed, however, promised to recommend the reduction
of these fees to incoming union officers.
Culled from: PREMIUM TIMES
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