The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Nigeria has expressed opposition to the idea of providing student education loan for those attending tertiary institutions across the country.
This was made known to the public on Monday during a press conference held in the capital of Akwa Ibom State, Uyo, where it was stated that the student education loan program would force pupils to enslavement, permanent debt, depression, and ultimately suicide.
Happiness Uduk, the ASUU Zonal Cordinator, expressed how depressing it was that those who benefited from food subsidies, bursary awards, and school scholarships were also the ones enforcing some of these offensive policies and vowed that the union would not back down in the face of them whenever necessary.
She said, “It is disheartening that people who attended schools on scholarship, enjoyed meal subsidies, free laundry services and bursary awards are the same running our economy today.
“Their Children are on scholarship in the best foreign universities in the world but after siphoning our economy, they turn around to impose a strangulating Education Loan in tax payers’ children so that they will be enslaved and remain indebted to the country forever. They do not mind the devastating effect of this scheme on the country, such as depression, suicide, and collosal loss of intellectuals.
“To this end, we vehemently condemn the idea of Education Loan and state clearly that using the money for intervention in higher Institutions will be about a positive turn-around of events that will make our institutions self reliant on highly subsidized tertiary education in Nigeria.”
