Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) students have threatened to shut down the activities of the school if the management does not reverse the 300 percent increase in tuition fees.
It would be recalled that the management of the institution through its public relations officer, Abiodun Olarewaju announced the increment last week after an emergency meeting.
However, in response to the fee hike, students, organized under the leadership of the Student Union and led by President Abbas Akinremi-Ojo, convened at the Ken Sarowiwa building on the OAU campus on Monday to voice their strong opposition to the management’s decision.
During a press briefing, Akinremi-Ojo conveyed their stance, explaining, “We’ve also formally contacted all relevant banks, instructing them to cease accepting fee payments from any student until a more equitable resolution is reached. Reluctantly, we find ourselves with limited alternatives and may be compelled to suspend all campus activities. This potential disruption could extend to other federal institutions across Nigeria, as we have the endorsement of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS).”
Akinremi-Ojo further disclosed that student representatives had initiated discussions with the university’s management back in August when they first became aware of the impending fee hike.
“But they were subsequently excluded from the negotiation process, and the management independently announced the new fees.
“The management attributed the fee increase to the alleged cessation of federal government funding for OAU, despite recent information indicating OAU as the ninth highest-funded university, with a budget allocation of N13.4 billion, as of September 15, 2023.”