OAU post-graduate students protest alleged exploitation by management

POST Graduate students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun, on Thursday in Osogbo, capital of the state accused the management of the institution of allegedly exploiting them, saying necessary stakeholders in the education sector should come to their aid.

Addressing a press conference at the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State chapter, the postgraduate students alleged that despite a protest letter forwarded to the Vice Chancellor (VC), of OAU, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede on the stoppage of payment levies after oral examination, the worrisome development had continued unabated.

The spokesperson for PG students, Mr Ogunne Kningsley and Okusanya Oluwatosing in a protest letter specifically accused the Provost, College of Post Graduates Studies of making their final year educational pursuit unduly difficult.

According to the letter, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Osogbo, the students contended that “on the discontinuation of payments of fees after final oral examination; our position remains that students should only be liable to fees accumulated from the beginning of their programmes through to the very semester of their final oral examination and not beyond.”

But, the management in short message forwarded to the Nigerian Tribune on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), of the institution, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju implored the PG students to embrace dialogue in their agitations.

The message reads, “OAU has not increased school fees for PG students. Payment stops the day the thesis of each of the students is submitted to the PG College. The moratorium that will end by 31st December 2017 is for all categories of students and every student is advised to register up to date before the end of the moratorium. PG students must dialogue on any issue and must not take laws into their hands.”