Over 700 students from Sokoto State have accused the Special Adviser on Student Affairs, Hon. Abubakar Muhammad Salame, of failing to settle their tuition fees despite funds being provided by Governor Ahmed Aliyu.
Addressing reporters at a press conference held at the NUJ Center on Zuru Road, Sokoto, the students, represented by their leader Usman Yahuza, alleged that while the state government approved tuition fee payments for 5,994 students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, only 5,290 students received their payments, leaving 774 unpaid.
According to Yahuza, the state government allocated a sum of N5,557,864,956 for the tuition fees of Sokoto State students under Salame’s office.
Despite this, numerous students remain unpaid, and attempts to reach the Special Adviser have reportedly been unsuccessful, with Salame allegedly denying concerned students access to his office.
The students further accused Salame of diverting a portion of the funds intended for tuition payments for personal use. “We appeal to His Excellency Governor Ahmed Aliyu to intervene, as this situation is severely affecting our studies,” Yahuza said. “Many of us have had to defer our studies, while others have taken on manual labor jobs to raise funds.”
This issue follows an order by the Sokoto State Government from May 14 to 18, 2024, for the verification of 5,994 Sokoto indigenes studying at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, following their expulsion due to non-payment of tuition fees.
The students also claimed that instead of conducting a single payment exercise for all 5,994 verified students, the Special Adviser issued payments in three batches, causing further delays and uncertainty for many.
