- Students threaten showdown
From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Condemnations have trailed the recent increment in the tuition fees of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Student bodies and the Social Democratic Movement (DSM), have condemned the increment and demanded a reversal to the old fees.
Management of the institutions recently announced about 300 per cent increment, a decision that has generated reactions.
The student union of OAU led by Abbas Akinremi-Ojo, at a press conference held at the Ken Sarowiwa building on the campus, on Monday, faulted the increment despite the hardship in the country.
He said, “We’ve also written to all respective banks to halt the acceptance of fee payments from any student until a better resolution has been achieved. As much as we don’t want to, we are currently running out of options and might have to shut down all activities on campus and progressively on all other federal institutions campuses in Nigeria because we are carrying the leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) along which they backed.
“The student leadership had met with the management in August when we learned about plans to increase school fees and we started negotiating. Unfortunately, they shut us out and announced the new fee. They claimed that the Federal Government has stopped funding OAU, meanwhile, the recent release on September 15th, 2023 listed OAU as number 9 of the top-funded universities with a budget allocation of N13.4 billion,” he said.
Similarly, the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), described the increment as callous, unjustifiable, and ridiculous.
A release by its Secretary, Ishola Kolawole, called on the NANS to wake up to its historic responsibility and begin a nationwide protest against the commercialization of public education.
Also, the National Association of Universities Students (NAUS), warned other universities planning to increase to desist, saying, “Universities must source funds elsewhere to meet their needs.
The NAUS chairman, Comrade Olayinka Popoola, who spoke to our correspondent in Osogbo, expressed worry over the safety of lives of the students of the institution in Ilesa and called on security agencies to brace up and stop killings in the community.