OAU students shut main campus gate, insist on 50% tuition reduction

Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, in the early hours of Tuesday shut the institution’s main gate in protest against the increment in school fees.

Recall that the OAU management announced new increased school fees on September 14, 2023.

The students, who stormed the varsity premises displayed placards reading, “When I dey pay 20k, I dey borrow money. Where you wan make I 90k? #FeeMustFall”, “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.”

OAU management had increased the fees payable by the students, and later reduced them.

But the Secretary General of the varsity Students’ Union, Akinboni Opeyemi, said the student populace does not agree with the current tuition fee.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olanrewaju, stated that the management reduced the fees after a meeting held with the students.

Olanrewaju had said that the Students’ Union leaders were adamant, insisting that the fees should be reduced by 50 per cent.

A statement quoted the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, as saying that the charges initially announced had been reduced as follows:

“For the students in Humanities, the initial sundry charges of N89, 200 for returning students have been reduced to N76,000 while for 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 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 N128,200. The new students in the same Faculties will now pay N164,000 instead of the initial charges of N190,000.”

It added that the university management has agreed that the payment can be made in two equal instalments.

Opeyemi, however, noted that the union requested a 50 per cent reduction of the initial proposed fee before it was reduced by 15 per cent.

“We want reduction just as stated in our last demand.  We want a reduction of the initial proposed fee before they (school management) reduce it by 15 per cent,” said Opeyemi.