The students numbering about 1,000, led by the leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) who trooped to streets as early as 8:00 am, were armed with placards of various inscription and chanting anti-government song, vowing to resist any increment in the tuition of the school.
However, the State House of Assembly has dissociated itself from the increase in tuition fee, saying the action of the governing council of the school negates the earlier agreement.
Speaking on behalf of the lawmaker, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Fatai Olotu, said, “we are informing the people of the state that we are not part of the new increase in the state-owned university.”
He explained that the governing council of the school had agreed to adequately inform the State Assembly as representative of the people before any action will be taken.
Olotu said “the fee will be reverted and the issue will be appropriately addressed, considering the serious economic situation and it has to be in consonance with the view of all stakeholders.
“All the announcement made by the governing council will be revisited in the interest of our people and it will be resolved soon. We want to appeal to all parents to be calm, steps are being taken to address the issue.”
Meanwhile, the students who positioned themselves at three strategic areas on the ever busy Oba Adesida road, blocked the road, hindering the free flow of vehicles for more than six hours, while commercial activities were grounded at the popular Oja Oba market.
Security operatives from the state Police command were drafted to the scene of the protest to maintain law and order as they allowed the protesting students to demonstrate peacefully but after several hours used canisters of teargas to disperse the students after some of the policemen were stoned by the students.
The protesting students regrouped themselves, marching past bonfires set with tyres along Adesida road and throwing stones, pebbles and bottles at the security agents.
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It was gathered that some of the students were arrested but released by the policemen who later pulled back and restored normalcy in the capital city around 3 pm.
Some of the students who spoke with Tribune Online accused the State GoveMrr, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of playing politics with their future, threatening showdown, saying they will not resume until the state government reverse the tuition fee.
One of the protesting students, Mogbonjubola Akinrolabu, described the state government as insensitive to the plight of the common man, noting that the increament will see many of the students out of school.
She said ” I am a final year law student and I have two of my siblings in the school. My mum has been sponsoring our education after the demise of my father, How do you expect my mum to pay over N500,000 for the three of us.?
“Before, we were paying between N25, 000 and N30, 000 but now it has been increased to N120, 000 and 180, 000 which is just too much to bear for us and our parents.
“I can imagine a lot of girls that will go into prostitution because of this hike in our school fee. The governor should consider us because this increase of 500 percent is killing and will have adverse effect on education in the State.”
Also parents of the students also faulted and rejected the hike in the school fee of the University saying the new increase was ill timed, lamenting that the hike was coming at a time when most families could barely feed and address other immediate needs.
Speaking, Mrs Iyabo Eniolawu, said, condemned the hike and said the present administration in the state was put in place to further impoverish the people of the state and make education almost out of their reach.
“The latest increment by the state government that is struggling to pay salaries of workers should be seen as a policy against the common people.”
The President of the Students Union Government (SUG), of the school, Olawale Ijanusi, said the protesting students are out to kick against the outrageous hike in the tuition by the state government.
Ijanusi described the new fee of N120, 000 and 180, 000 that was introduced by the management as “outrageous and unacceptable” to the student, saying the students have been advised to remain at home and should not pay the new fee.
“We have directed all our students not to pay the new fee as the increment is too exorbitant to bear, and anyone who pays does that on his own.”
However, despite the public outcry and condemnation over the recent hike in school fees, the governing Council of the institution and the school management, on Monday, insisted that there was no going back on the implementation of the new fees.
Briefing newsmen over the development after a user meeting with the leadership of the Students Union, the Pro Chancellor of the institution, Mr. Tunji Abayomi, said the implementation of the new fees became imperative to save the school from collapsing.
Abayomi stated that the increase in the fee became inevitable to save the institution and education in the state, saying lack of adequate funding from State government as a result of prevailing economic situations in the country.
Speaking on the finances of the school, Abayomi said the income accrued to the school was more lesser than the expenditure, saying the institution is being run at a loss, saying the state government is spending about N5 billion annually to finance the school.
He said the time has come to save the University from total collapse but said the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, still have the power to reduce the fee.
He said fresh students of the Faculty of Arts and Education would pay N150,000 per session while the returning students will pay N120,000 per session.
He said “fresh students of the faculties of Science, agriculture, Social and Management Sciences will pay N180, 000, and the returning students will pay N150, 000. Others include Faculty of Law fresh Students: 200,00, returning Students: N150, 000.”
However, a new twist was introduced when some students of the State owned University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) frowned against the action of the protesting students led by the NANS leaders saying that they have been paying higher tuition fee.
The group spokesperson lfeoluwa Philips said that if the tuition fees of AAUA is reverted “the state government should be thinking of reducing the tuition fee of OSUSTECH. It would have to be reduced to between N23,000 and N37,000 per session as well. What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.
Philip said that “with the present economic situation, how is it feasible for students of a state-owned institution that want to compete with their peers in World class institution in terms of academic, research and entrepreneurship think they can continue to pay between N23,000 and N37,000 fees per session.”
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