OAU students protest fee hike — despite reduction announcement

Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in Osun on Tuesday staged a protest at the main campus premises over the fee increment by the institution.

The students barricaded the varsity’s gate with various placards which read “I cannot afford to drop out. #FeeMustFall”, “My Mama dey sell Fufu, my papa dey ride Okada. Where you won make I see 90k? #FeeMustFall.”

The protesting undergraduates demanded at least a 50% reduction in the new charges. They also vowed to not stop the protest until their demands are attended to.

It was gathered that students, staff, and other stakeholders of the university were seen stranded at the campus gate.

The protest came despite an announcement by the institution to reduce the recently increased fees for students.

On September 26, Abiodun Olarewaju, the varsity spokesperson, said the fee reduction followed a meeting the university management had with the leadership of the students union.

He said the students’ union leaders were adamant, insisting that the fees should be reduced by 50 percent.

The varsity spokesperson said Adebayo Bamire, the vice chancellor of OAU, however, readjusted downward the sundry charges payable by the students of the varsity.

“For the students in Humanities, the initial sundry charges of N89,200 for returning students have been reduced to N76,000,” Olarewaju said in a statement.

“While the new students in the Humanities, the initial fees of N151,200 have been reduced to N131,000.

“For those in the Sciences and Technology, the initial charges of N101,200, for returning students is now N86,000 while the new students in the same Faculties will now pay N141,000 as against the initial N163,200.”

In the same vein, the returning students in the Pharmacy and College of Health Sciences would now pay N109,000, instead of N128,200.

He said the new students in the same faculties would now pay N164,000 instead of the initial charges of N190,000.

The statement added that the university management had agreed that the payment could be in two equal installments.