About 704 students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, who are indigenes of the state, have appealed to the state governor, Dr Ahmed Aliyu, to intervene in the payment of their registration fees to save their academic career.
The students accused the special adviser to the governor on Student Matters, Abubakar Muhammad Salame, of allegedly diverting their portion of the fees for his personal use.
However, when contacted, the special adviser said he would respond to all the allegations at the appropriate time.
Addressing newsmen at the press centre, the leader of the group, Usman Yahuza, said the state government approved the payment of tuition fees for 5,994 indigent students of the institution out of which 5,290 of the students were registered leaving a shortfall of 704 students.
“The 5,994 students were verified by officials designated by the special adviser from May 14 to 18, 2024.
“Out of the total number of students for which the tuition fees were approved, the special adviser paid the tuition fees of 5,290 students in three batches and left the tuition fees of the remaining 704 students yet unpaid which led them to unnecessary hardship in the course of their studies,” he said.
He further explained that while some of the affected students deferred their admissions, few of them withdrew their admissions as they could not meet up with the payment of required fees, while others were given temporary identity cards to enable them to write the ongoing semester examinations.
