The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has described plans by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to reduce tuition fees in tertiary institutions as a mere campaign to hoodwink the electorate ahead of the October 10 governorship election.
The party said making such a pledge now that the election is around the corner is laughable and ridiculous.
Governor Akeredolu said plans were on to reduce tuition fees when the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) visited him on Wednesday.
He told the students that he had sent his team to find out the tuition fees payable in other state-owned institutions, to know what steps to take on the reduction of tuition fees in the state.
The Ondo PDP in a statement signed by its spokesman, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, wondered whether Akeredolu had just realised that hundreds of students dropped out of state-owned tertiary institutions on account of increased fees.
“Did Akeredolu not say that the increment of fees parents were complaining about is not more than the cost of a pair of shoes?
“Making such a pledge now that the election is just around the corner is laughable and ridiculous. It is a calculated attempt to deceive the people who have rejected Akeredolu and the APC for anti-people policies and programmes.”
Governor Akeredolu has slammed the PDP for attempting to discourage his planned reduction of tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions.
Akeredolu said it was illogical for a party looking for votes to discourage his people-oriented move.
The governor, who spoke through his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, said it smacked of laziness for the PDP to hover around a social issue such as the payment of tuition fees in its political parachutes.
