Oyedepo defends high fees charged by private Universities-- "Nigerians can spend N1m on burials but not on education"

It's no news that Nigerians have complained over the high cost of tuition fees for private universities,especially those owned by Churches.The founder of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has defended the tuition fees charged by schools owned by the church, describing the provision of quality education as an expensive venture. While addressing journalists on Friday in Ota, Ogun State, at a media chat organised in commemoration of his 60th birthday coming up on September 27, 2014.He said

“I’m sure we all agree that education is expensive. Education carries cost; nothing of
value is free. Our mission for years long, before we started any university or secondary school, was a bursary awarding church and we have not stopped doing that till tomorrow.
Our problem most of the time is priority; an average Nigerian can spend N1m on burial but to spend N200,000 on education (is a problem), because of wrong priority. On a yearly basis, we have N1.5trn that Nigerians spend to overseas universities, so people thrive on it. Nigerians spend N463bn a month on recharge cards, how much are they paying for schools fees? So it’s all a matter of priority. This is the largest market for telephone in the world. Now, to pay N500,000, some people have only one son, they have huge business and houses all over the places, they will never pay it.”

On why he never responds to controversial reports about him

 “My understanding of opposition, persecution is simply someone’s opinion harshly expressed. Everybody has a right to his opinion. Today, millions follow after Christ but you will be surprised that when you get to Israel some people do not believe that Christ has come.
“People have rights to their opinions. I naturally don’t feel it’s necessary (to respond). The energy I would need to react, I can use it to make moves. I have enough to think about than start running after a man who says you are a fool.
“If he says you are a fool and you are behaving so, then he’s right. If you leave your job and start pursuing somebody who says you are a fool, he has already said so, your going around doesn’t change it. So why going around, why don’t you settle on your job and make moves?

“I’ve also come to understand that those who make news hardly watch them, they are so busy making news while others are busy watching.”

Punch