Academic and commercial activities at Rufus  Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) and the entire Owo town were yesterday halted  following a protest by students of the institution over hike in school fees.
It was gathered that the students resolved to protest the conditions attached to writing exams and the recent unified test introduced by the management of the institution, after a students’ union stakeholders meeting held last Sunday.
Following the new fees introduced by the management, full time students, who are natives  are expected to pay  over N60,000, non-natives are to pay over 70,000, while newly admitted students are expected to pay over 90,000.
It was learnt that the management had directed that the students should commence a unified test effective from yesterday with the condition that only students who had paid their school fees would be allowed to write the test.
The development, however, provoked the students, who took to the streets yesterday  morning, blocking the institution’s gate and preventing lecturers and other members of staff from gaining entry into the school premises.
The protesting students barricaded the Benin/ Abuja Expressway and stopped vehicular movement for several hours.
Several property including the girls’ hostel, a new generation bank’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and some bill boards were damaged by the rampaging students. T
hey later extended their protest to the newly dualised Owo township road where they blocked the roads and brought commercial activities of the town to a halt for several hours.
Eyewitnesses said one student slumped while several others were injured during the protest.
Addressing newsmen, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Campus Committee (JCC) of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ondo State chapter,  Olasunkanmi Pelebe said the new fees introduced by the management were outrageous and exorbitant.
He said the students of the institution are paying more than what their colleagues are paying in other Polytechnic in the south west.
According to him, the management should understand that the parents of the students are not professors, politicians or business tycoon.
Pelebe lamented that parents of an average student are traders, artisans, or civil servants who thrive so hard to send their wards to school.
Addressing the protesting students, the Rector of the institution, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun appealed to the students to maintain peace, assuring them that the management would not be attaching any condition to the examination.
But, Ajibefun said the issue of new fee  would be addressed by the management and the students representatives

Poly students protest hike in fees