The tuition fee hike at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been strongly contested by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
NANS Public Relations Officer, Giwa Temitope, in a communique sent to Journalist on Sunday, disclosed that the association had been meticulously watching the developments in the OAU and ‘the insistence of the university management to increase fees despite the directive of the Federal Government that universities should put fee increments on hold.’
The OAU management held talks with student leaders and subsequently reduced fees by less than 50% after an initial hike last week. However, the students’ School Fees Review Committee described this reduction as “paltry.”
‘We unequivocally reject this meagre reduction, as the newly proposed fees remain unaffordable for most of our students and fall significantly short of the 50 per cent reduction demanded by our union,’ the chairman of the committee, Olugbade Majeed, alongside other executive members, said in a statement.
Read also: Obafemi Awolowo University Increases Tuition Fees
Abiodun Olarewaju, representing the management, relayed that the student union leaders were persistent in their demand for a 50% fee reduction.
Olarewaju went on to explain that as of late September, the management had clarified that the new fees were the absolute minimum essential for the university’s effective operation.
‘For those in the Sciences and Technology, the initial charge of N101,200, for returning students is now N86,000 while the new students in the same faculties will now pay N141,000 instead of the initial N163,200.’
‘In the same vein, the returning students in the Pharmacy and College of Health Sciences will now pay N109,000, instead of #128,200. The new students in the same Faculties will now pay N164,000 instead of the initial charges of N190,000,’ a statement by the university PRO reads in part.
However, NANS said in response, ‘We have been duly informed that despite the fact that the students’ union of the institution shifted ground from a total reversal during their meeting with the management to demand a 50% cut in the fees, the management insisted that such won’t be possible.’
Giwa observed that students were key stakeholders in every learning institution and, as such, their requests should not be taken lightly.
‘As an association, we declare that we are in solidarity with students of OAU as they fight fee increment, and we call on the management of the institution to listen to the voice of reason by agreeing to slash the fees by 50% as proposed by the students’ union,’ Giwa added.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Abass Akinremi, the President of the OAU Students’ Union, hinted at a potential protest on Monday in a message sent to students on Saturday, citing the union’s completion of consultations.
Akinremi clarified that the union’s decision to hold the demonstration on Monday was influenced by the fact that it would fall on a public holiday.
‘Instead of celebrating Nigeria’s independence, we want to show our displeasure to both the Federal Government and the school management that our rights are being taken from us and we don’t have educational independence,’ the president stated.