Some Kwara State indigenous students have reacted to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s approval of N10,000 each as palliative to students who are of Kwara origin in public-owned tertiary institutions across the country.
Tribune Online reports that Governor Abdulrazaq, in his bid to reduce the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on the students’ welfare, has approved the payment of the student’s support fund.
The approval of the one-off payment is coming a week after the Governor initially approved the extension of free bus rides for students of tertiary institutions in the state.
However, majority of the indigenous Kwara State students across the country who participated in a survey conducted by Tribune Online, stated that the one-off 10,000 naira palliative is far from being enough to relieve the economic aftermath of the subsidy removal.
The participants include students from the University of Ilorin (Unilorin), Kwara State University (KWASU), Ekiti State University (EKSU), and Kwara State Polytechnic, among other public-owned tertiary institutions in the country.
According to the survey, 35 out of the 100 students, amounting to 35%, revealed that it only takes them two weeks to spend 10,000 naira even while on strict budgeting.
A student of Kwara State Polytechnic identified as Bolarinwa, said, “10,000 naira can’t go a long way at all. The government should find a better way to provide for the citizens because the removal of fuel subsidy will take time, and 10,000 naira can’t even last for a month with the way things are getting expensive in our economy daily.”
On how they have been affected financially by the subsidy removal, most of the students said the prices of transportation to their respective schools have doubled since the subsidy was removed, adding that the cost of feeding has also skyrocketed.
Describing the removal of fuel subsidy as a terrible experience, a student of Kwara State University, Busari Munirat, said, “It affected me badly, spending twice of what I used to spend on transport to and fro my hostel to school, hike in market prices that make feeding difficult, and the amount I spent on printing because of the hike in fuel price. It is a terrible experience.”
Another student, Islamiyat Adedayo, said, “My cost of transportation has been doubled. Before, I spent 2000 naira weekly on transport to school, but now it has increased to 4000, and my monthly allowance as a student did not increase. It has also affected my cost of living, especially in terms of feeding.”
Some of the students further revealed that they have resorted to skipping some of their classes due to the high cost of transportation, a decision, which according to them, has affected their academic performances.
“It’s really affecting me because due to the increase in transport fares. I don’t go to class as usual, and it has really affected me in some of my courses,” a student of Unilorin, Lawal Aminat, lamented.
While the majority of students interviewed described the palliative as not enough based on their economic realities, some other students who responded to the survey shared a contrasting view.
To many of them, the palliative amount might be little, but it will go a long way in assisting the students in these trying times. According to Taiwo Damilola, who is a student of the Unilorin, “It won’t clear our bills for the rest of the year or month, per se, but it’s better than nothing. God bless the Kwara state government.”
“I feel it’s a really great and helpful move by the Kwara state government,” another student, Samuel Olamide opined.
