*Govt Justifies Increase, Says If The Tuition Was Not Increased, It Could Lead To The Collapse Of The University
STUDENTS of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Akoko, Ondo marched on the streets protesting over 500 percent hike in their tuition fees.
As at the time of filling in this report, business and commercial activities remained paralysed.
The students in hundreds, marched from Oba Adesida to Alagbaka causing gridlock, lashed the institution governing council through various placards and condemning the increment, while calling on the governor to reverse it.
Rotimi AkeredoluThe tuition fees increase from N25,000 to N200,000 last weekend by the institution governing council, had attracted condemnation across the state from the students, their parents and other stakeholders across the state.
The institution Head, Information, Protocol and Public Relations, Sola Imoru, in a statement highlighted the new fees as follows: “Faculties of Arts and Education- Fresh Students: N150,000, returning Students: N120,000, Faculties of Science, Agric, Social and Mgt. Sciences- Fresh Students: N180,000, returning Students : N150,000 Others include Faculty of Law – Fresh Students: 200,000, returning Students: N150,000.
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The chairman of governing council, Dr Tunji Abayomi, after a meeting with leaders of the students unions and government officials said the university was facing financial crunch hence the increase.
Abayomi, who was accompanied by the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun, warned that if the tuition was not increased, it could lead to the collapse of the university in no distance time, and called on the students and parents to show understanding in order to move the school to a greater height.
But the SUG President, Olawale ljanusi, said that the protest was to show their displeasure over the over 500 percent increment by the council, vowing that they “would continue the protest until the state government intervene and save the ugly situation.”
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“Base on the reality of fact staring at us in the face, the Union proposed 30% increment (i.e.) for incoming students. The returning students should maintain the status quo of last fee paid.
“No student should resume and no student should pay a dime. United we Stand divided we pay exorbitant fee,” Ijanusi said.
The state government insisted that the N30,000 paid by the students was no more realistic in the face of the economic reality in the country.
Information and Orientation Commissioner, Yemi Olowolabi, said that the decision to increase the fee was that of the institution governing council.
Olowolabi added that the state government inherited a crisis situation from the last administration.
