Parents’ Forum debunks claims of obligatory development levy

By Winifred Umoren and Daniel Kelechi

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) Parents’ Forum has released a statement discrediting the claims that its #5000 development levy has been made compulsory for all parents of the institution.

Some parents of the university believed that the levy was mandatory and expressed their displeasure at being made to pay it in addition to the recently increased university school fees.

According to them, “This is an unfair decision to ask that every parent mandatorily pay a development fee that they have not signed up for “.

However, the forum came out to state very clearly that this was not the case and that payments of the levy are made voluntarily by parents committed to the association and its vision.

Both the immediate past and present chairmen of the association, Messrs Babatunde Majekodunmi and Olayiwola Aderemi, released statements confirming that since the conception of the forum in 1999, there has never been a time when parents were forced to be members of the forum or made to pay its dues.

They went on to explain that the development levy is to be partly used to support indigent students, and school renovations and sponsor the #50,000 award scheme which the forum gives to the overall best-graduating student of the university at every of her Convocation ceremonies.

In addition to these, the forum also exists to mediate between parents and the university, fast-track resolutions, act as peacemakers, and fight against cultism.