The Vice-Chancellor, Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Prof. Kayode Makinde, has said that the alleged increase in tuition in the institution is a rumour.
Makinde, who spoke at the 11th pre-convocation press conference of the school, said the alleged tuition increment was the handiwork of people he described as detractors of the university owned by Seventh-Day Adventist Church Nigeria.
According to him, the agitation started when some unknown persons posted alleged new tuition regime on some blogs to the effect that the university had increased tuition to as much as between N1.5m and N3m, depending on a student's course of study.
The unsigned statement, which led to the agitation, indicated that a medical student who pays N2m per session would henceforth pay N3m, while a Law student would pay N2m. Students in the Accounting and Nursing departments, the unsigned release stated, would pay N1.7m each; while others would pay between N1m and N1.5m.
But Makinde said there was no truth in the information.
"The average fee at Babcock University is N630,500and this covers accommodation, feeding, tuition and medical insurance. Law is N763,000, as against the reported N2m posted on the blog; Medicine is N2m, while Nursing is N763,000, as against the reported N1m. There are no hidden charges outside this fee regime," he explained.
He, however, added that the tuition was a consolidated one that included accommodation, feeding, school fees and medical insurance.
"In fact, our tuition is N380,000 for 100 and 200 Level students, while 300 and 500 Level students pay N310,000 each, except medical students. The consolidated fee for the medical student at Benjamin S Carson School of Medicine is N2m per session and this covers tuition, accommodation, feeding, laboratory, clinical charges and every other charge associated with the programme," he said.
Makinde called on Nigerians to discountenance the Internet-created fee regime, saying people should visit the institution's site to get detailed information on the university's current fee.
On the forthcoming convocation, Makinde said about 1, 300 graduates would be conferred with various degrees and diplomas on June 2.
He added that 100 students would also be given postgraduate awards in various disciplines.
Makinde added that the institution's medical school had attracted over 80 board-certified medical experts, including Head of Paediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Medical Centre and School of Medicine in Baltimore, United States of America, Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, to teach its medical students.
"The university is also building other professional collaborations aimed at giving stronger intellectual leverage and executive exposure to students," he said.
