Ex Babcock VC defends fee hike

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Former Vice Chancellor (VC) of Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Prof Kayode Makinde has reacted to public’s claims that Babcock University’s education is too expensive.

Speaking with journalists at a luncheon in the university, he said the nation’s economic state and BU’s determination not to compromise standards were factors affecting the hike in fees.

Defending the institution, Makinde said before the latest increment in August, school fees were last reviewed in 2011.

He also said the fees would have been much higher but for the subsidy provided by the university’s proprietor, Seventh Day Adventist Church.

However, the subsidy does not cover medicine.

Makinde said studying medicine at BU was highly priced because: “BU’s medicine is a global track medicine. Its aim is to curb Nigerians going out to seek medical treatment in India and other countries. So we are sending students to learn what they do in those countries. When are we going to get tired, as a nation of outsourcing power, health and other factors?

“A sitting President died receiving treatment abroad and was brought back in an ambulance; a sitting first lady died in a hospital abroad; A minister is currently receiving cancer treatment abroad. Would you rather invest in your children’s education and get them out industry-ready and in record time, or not? School fees is not what is expensive; life in Nigeria is.”

Makinde said he would like to be remembered for sowing into the future of Nigeria, as well as for his credibility, integrity and productivity.

Also speaking at the event, his successor, Prof Ademola Tayo, unveiled his agenda for his tenure to include: reinvigorating the academic scope of culture; management of external publics; consolidate spirituality; service delivery; continued first class training in medicine, among others.

Tayo solicited the support of the university’s workers and parents to sustain higher standard of education and have a successful tenure.

Meanwhile, the Council of Legal Education has adjudged BU as the overall best School of Law out of 42 Faculties of Law in Nigeria in the 2015 academic year, based on the cumulative performance of its students in the Bar Final Examinations of the Nigerian Law School.

A statement by Joshua Suleiman, the Public Relations director, noted that BU recorded the best results (95.8 percent), with the least number of failures, while the institution’s Bukoye Olayinka bagged one of the eight recorded first class in the bar exam across the country.

Source: The Nation