I WILL REDUCE TUITION FEES TO 30,000 IN ONDO VARSITIES- ODIMAYO
A governorship hopeful on the platform of All Progressives Congress ( APC), in the 2020 Governorship Election in Ondo State, Prince Jimi Odimayo has promised to instantly reduce the tuition fees currently payable in the two state government owned universities if elected as the next governor in the coming poll.
Odimayo, who recently declared his ambition to contest for the number one job in the state, vowed to reduce tuition fees in both Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, (AAUA) and Ondo State University of Science and Technology, (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa to N30,000 on February 24, 2021 as his first pronouncement after his swearing-in as the elected governor of the state.
He made the declaration at a stakeholders meeting in Akute, the state capital on Sunday, with over 5,000 women in attendance, made up of all the women leaders of APC in the 203 wards in the state, women groups and coordinators from all the eighteen local government areas of Ondo State.
He lamented the hardship mothers, parents and guardians are facing on payment of school fees of their wards currently in the state government owned higher institutions where a student pay as much as N250,000 per an academic session, stressing that it remains the responsibility of any people oriented government to fund education.
“I am not going to agree with the excuse of the present administration to so much increased the tutor fees so the level where large population of students are on daily bases, withdrawn from our universities owning to the exorbitant fees payable in these institutions.
“We are making university education compulsory for every youth in the state, as a tool to accelerate rapid development in all sections of human endeavours. This is where it become very important to increase the budgetary provision for the education sector I’m line with the recommendations of UNESCO, rather than shifting huge financial burden on the people.
“That is why my first pronouncement as the elected governor on February 24, 2021 will be the announcement of total free education for both primary and secondary schools in Ondo state and instant reduction of tuition fees in the two state government owned universities to N30, 000 per session, across all the courses of study.
“We are also going to ensure that we give our women real poverty eradication programme and empowerment. The women will take a large portion of representation when forming our cabinet and other important sections of the administration and governance. So, the practise of using women as only campaign tool has to be stopped by allowing them to take very important roles to assist in our quest to make better life for our people.
Ambassador (Mrs.) Folake Omojuba, who led the women groups to the meeting with governorship aspirant, assured him total support of all APC women across the eighteen council areas of the state, adding that his kindheartedness, good gestures to the poor, high moral values, youthfulness and genuine interest to serve the people of the state, attracted the women to Odimayo.
“Right from this moment, all the APC women in the state have resolved to immediately withdraw our support to the incumbent, Arakunle Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and shifted all our attention, energy, time, support, prayers and comments to project Jimi Odimayo for Governor, which by God’s grace will come to fruition by February 2021.
“We are from now, going to go all out for the campaigns in the markets, churches, mosques, towns meetings, clubs meetings, in our families and every of our daily engagements as wives mothers, civil servants, businesswomen and traders. This is our project, and we are going to diligently, faithfully and with all the powers vested on us as women by God, pursue and project until Prince Jimi Odimayo is swear-in as our next governor.”
Mrs. Omojuwa also hailed the aspirant for his love for the women fold, through his empowerment programme over the years, and his promise to reduce tuition fees for students in both AAUA and OSUSTECH to N30,000, stressing that the singular action will go a long way to relief the hardship women are currently facing, as many of them are the breadwinners and guardians.