OAU in the eye of the storm

Harrison Iyoha

These are definitely not the best of times for management staff of Nigerian universities with student of various tertiary institutions embarking on one form of protest or another.

Most recently, students of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, demonstrated to their school management why their affairs should not be taken lightly.

The students’ latest protest was against the hike in their school fees which jacked up from N24,700 to N92,700.

According to findings by our correspondent, students of the institution were particularly unhappy because of the manner in which the institution increased the school fees.

Lekan Bello, a student of the institution, told P.M. NEWS Campus Square that, “the leadership of OAU students’ union had taken a laudable step of negotiating with the university management to reduce the fees to an affordable rate.

But the Omole-led administration turned down all the demands of the students without any consideration”.

“We understand that the management close down the school if we protest on campus as threatened by the VC, but we will not the opportunity to do so. We have taken the struggle beyond their imagination. The struggle has been taken to the palace of the Ooni of Ife as well as media houses in Ife town.”.

Adediran Samuel Bukunmi, 200-level Botany student of OAU, also expressed his displeasure, stating that, “the last thing I want is for us to go on strike. But at the same time the hike is too much. I will be fine if it is reduced but if it remains this way, the protest should be sustained.

“Education is our right, it’s high time we liberated ourselves from the shackles of our wicked and heartless leaders.”

Another student who spoke with our correspondent, stated that the school management has over stretched its luck with the move.

The 200 level student of the department of Political Science said, “one cannot but imagine what this country is turning to. A country where the poor masses are gradually becoming very insignificant and next to nothing.

“I really wish to know when the youths of today will become the leaders of tomorrow when the common man cannot afford education which is the last hope of poor masses.

“As a student of political science of the prestigious OAU. it is disheartening the school management just came up overnight to increase the tuition fees by over a 100% without improvement in the learning facilities of the institution.

“The best gift any man can give to his children is education, but when the education itself has gone beyond the reach of the common man, how then will he give his children this gift?”

“Even if the federal government has mandated the federal universities to generate funds internally, this is not enough reason for such high increment?”.

Although the protest by the students has been described violence-free, the students’ yearnings were yet to be met.

In a related development, students of University of Port-Harcourt recently took to the streets to protest hike in their school fees.

The students protested that they can’t afford the new fees of N41,400 instead of the N29,500 paid last year .

Students of University of Lagos, UNILAG also recently protested the increment on the fine on late registration which the school management later resolved.