- No going back on new tuition – VC
- Reverse hike or face war –Students
The closure of the institution may be far from resolving the crisis if feelers from the ivory tower are anything to go by. The students of the university have threatened to continue their protests against the management decision to hike the tuition fees, even with the closure of the institution.
Both the students of the university and the management had since May engaged in serious imbroglio over the sudden hike in the tuition, a development which had caused series of protests by the students both within and outside the university campus.
In their desperate search for help, the students also went spiritual by organising series of prayers. Both Christians and Muslims reported the school management to God, asking for divine intervention to slash the fees. They also made an appeal to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse, whose intervention in the matter could not help, as the management remains adamant.
In a recent development, the students who had been chased out of the university campus, it was gathered are planning to stage another round of protests in Ile-Ife town, Osogbo, the Osun state capital, Lagos and Abuja to sensitize members of the public on the decision of the management of the university under the leadership of Professor Bamitale Omole, the Vice Chancellor.
The President of the University Students Union, Ibikunle Isaac, who lamented the hike in the tuition and the insistence of the Professor Omole led management of the university on the new tuition regime, despite calls for its reduction by students, staff and prominent Nigerians, accused the Vice Chancellor of highhandedness, stressing that he caused the crisis in the university.
However, he maintained that the students of the institution would not be intimidated by what he called illegal closure of the university, just as he stressed that they would engage all legal means to ensure a reversal of the tuition, which he said was unaffordable with the present economic realities in the country.
Crisis began in the university in May when the management of the institution announced a sudden hike in the tuition. The shock of the increment spurred serious protests by the students of the university who went on rampage and erected blockade at the Ife/Ibadan road for several hours for three days.
Despite the closure of the university, students of the institution still gather daily on the campus to receive directives from the leadership of the Students’ Union on the steps to take to “fight” the management. It was learnt that many students of the university had resisted moving out of their halls of residences but were driven out by security guards, with many leaving their loads in their rooms.
The students, according to one of their leaders who simply identified himself as Azees, have resolved to barricade all the entrances that lead to the campus of the university to further enforce the closure of the university by the management.
Azees, who claimed to be a 400 level student in the Faculty of Law, said, “we will continue to fight for our right and that which is right in the sight of the people. The students have all resolved to fight Omole to a standstill over this matter, and we will fight this injustice until justice is done on the matter. We will resist all their efforts to make life unbearable for the children of the common people, because the management is trying to make life unbearable for the children of the poor.”
He said the students have collectively agreed not to succumb to pressure, adding that “we are ready to dialogue with the management, but from all indications, the management is hell bent on its unpopular decision to make life unpleasant for the common people by increasing the tuition, especially for the fresh students of the university.”
Azees, who is a member of the Students Representatives Council (SRC) of the university, recalled that the students had met with prominent individuals in the society, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade on the need to prevail on Professor Omole- led management to reduce the tuition but to no avail.
He noted that the students may seek legal option to the matter, stating that “we have not decided on whether or not we will take any legal action against the university management but we must not succumb to the unpopular decision of the management.”
He added that “an emergency congress of the Students Union will be held any time from now, where the students will decide on the necessary steps to take on the matter. We are hoping that the congress will hold in no distant time and the message will be passed across to all the students. Most of the students are still in Ile-Ife, though outside the campus for security reason and in compliance with Omole’s order.”
The President elect of the Students Union, Ibikunle Isaac, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, explained that the students decided to protest the management decision when it became clear that the Vice Chancellor was not ready to change his position on the fee increment.
He said “the management of the university had increased the tuition fees from N17,000 to about N100,000 apart from N20,000 acceptance and accommodation fees, adding that “We have exhausted all peaceful means, we have consulted unions like ASUU, NASU and even the alumni body of the institution to help us appeal to the management to reverse the fee but to no avail.”
However, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Omole, while explaining the management’s position on the fee hike, said the increment in students’ charges was to maintain the school’s position as the best in the country and one of the best universities in the world.
Prof. Omole, who said this while addressing journalists at the conference hall of the institution stated that the charges formerly paid by the students were in line with the economic realities of that time, stressing that the new fee regime was necessitated by the current economic realities.
The new tuition, according to survey by our correspondent, showed that newly admitted students in the faculties of Law, Arts, Social Sciences, Administration and Education are to pay N61, 700 as against N5, 300 while faculties of Science, Environment Design and Management, Educational Science, Technology and Agriculture are to pay N72,700 as against N10, 300 and fresh students in the faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health Sciences are now to pay N75, 700 against N12, 800 paid by the students before the upward review.
The Vice Chancellor noted that the new charges to be paid by fresh students include a newly introduced development levy of N18,000 which is to be paid once by new students throughout the duration of their studentship in the university.
Specifically, Prof. Omole declared that the N20,000 acceptance fee was not part of the newly introduced fee, adding that old charges paid by the students were not only the lowest in the entire Nigerian university system but also the most ridiculous in the entire tertiary educational system in Africa.
Omole also declared that the management would not reverse the fee despite the protest by the students. “In order to assist the poor but brilliant students, the Senate of the university has also set up a Student Education Relief Committee where scholarships, grants and opportunity for work study will be provided,” he said.
Explaining why the institution was closed down, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, stated that the Senate of the university took the decision to forestall further breakdown of law and order by the students of the institution.
He agreed that the closure of the university was the aftermath of protests by students and workers of the university over hike in the tuition and non-payment of 45 months arrears of hazard allowance to the non academic staff of the university.
According to Olanrewaju, the university was shut down due to persistent and violent disruption of normal activities and peace on campus occasioned by unrelenting demonstrations by students, led by the Student Union Executives.
His words “This decision was taken in order to forestall further breakdown of law and order and to safeguard life and property on campus. We have directed all the students to vacate their Halls of Residence and the university premises immediately but not later than 4:00 pm on Thursday, 19th June, 2014.”
“All parents and guardians are hereby enjoined to ensure that their children and wards comply with this directive immediately,” adding that “parents and guardians should endeavour to monitor the activities and movements of their children to ensure that they are not used for violence by the students union leaders.”
 |
OAU students, VC on battle line |
No comments:
Post a Comment