From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Osun Joint Campus Committee (JCC), has rejected increment in the tuition fee in the state-owned institutions and threatened to hit the streets in protest.
The students lamented the poor state of facilities, including road networks across several campuses in the state, and called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene as urgently as possible.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo, on Thursday, Ogungbe Taiwo, lamented that the hardship in the country is having a serious effect on the students while the lack of welfare package/palliative in the form of mobility aid and scholarships has worsened the plight of students in the state.
He said, “Students demand the immediate reversal of increased school fees in Osun State-owned institutions. It’s disheartening to see the pain of students in this present hardship we all face. We hereby call for a total reversal of the increased tuition fees, failure to act promptly will result in mass mobilization by the student body and relocation of our Secretariat to the office of the Governor.
“We express deep disappointment towards the government of Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke for neglecting student welfare. Despite initial hope, anti-student policies have been implemented, and we are still lagging behind another Southwest state, we urge the government to prioritize student concerns.
“We reiterate our demand for adequate palliatives and infrastructure improvements to enhance the learning environment on campuses. The road networks across the tertiary institutions are in a very terrible state and yet nothing is being done on it while our lecture halls are below standard.
“Despite our efforts through letters to government authorities, indifference persists. Therefore, we issue a seven-day ultimatum to the government to address our demands. Failure to do so will result in peaceful protests and roadblocks in Osogbo, the state capital.
“These demands represent the collective voice of students across higher institutions in Osun State, endorsed by the student union presidents in the state. We urge the government to heed our calls and prioritize the welfare and rights of Nigerian students,” Taiwo said.