. UNILAG reduces fees after meeting NANS officials
By Gabriel Dike
The Students Union of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has issued a five-day ultimatum to the university management to reverse the fee increment or face protest and disruption of academic activities.
The students gave the warning to the university management after a congress of the union, which rejected the fee hike.
Just as the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, announced a marginal reduction of the obligatory fees introduced recently to douse tension on campus.
The resolution of congress of the OAU students union signed by the President, Abbas Akinremi Ojo and the Secretary General, Akinboni Opeyemi advised the university management to reverse the recent fee hike in the interest of peace on campus.
The union asked financial institutions, especially remita to suspend payment from OAU pending when the students union would write them, warning, “if otherwise, their branches in Ife and OAU campus will be shut down.”
The congress gave the university management five days ultimatum to engage the leadership of the students union in discussion about the increment and warned that failure to comply would result in the students hitting the streets and also shutting down activities on the campus as well as the entire country.
In a related development, UNILAG management has bowed to the pressure of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and president of nine faculties and announced a marginal review of the contentious obligatory fees.
The decision to slash the fee followed a five hours marathon meeting between UNILAG management and NANS officials led by the President, Usman Umar Barambu, which was also attended by faculty presidents.
A statement signed by the Head, Communication Unit, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem said the NANS president highlighted the demands of UNILAG students, which are the reversal of obligatory fees, review of hostel fees and reinstatement of the students union.
According to the statement, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola explained the dire situation of the university in view of the prevailing economic realities and the struggle to meet its obligations to students, staff and municipal service providers.
After the discussion, the university management reduced the utility charges to N15,000 from N20,000, while fees for new students were reviewed from N126,325 to N116,325 for courses without laboratory/studio and N176,325 to N166,325 for courses with laboratory/studio.
For returning students, the management reduced the obligatory fees from N100,750 to N80,750 for programmes without laboratory/studio, N140,250 to N120,250 for courses with laboratory/studio, and from N190,250 to N170,250 for medical/pharmacy students and those in the health professions.
The statement added that the convocation fee paid by final year students was reduced to N27,000 from N30,000, hostel fees for undergraduates at Akoka and Yaba campuse was reviewed to N43,000 from N90,000, hostel in Idi-Araba campus reduced to N65,000 from N120,000. Fees for Sodeinde Hall was reviewed to N135,000 from N250,000.
Prof. Ogunsola reiterated that “no UNILAG student would drop out of the university due to the fee increment.