Students from Oyo state-own higher institution on Thursday blocked major roads linking the Government House, Agodi in Ibadan to protest the recent tuition hike in the schools.
The students stormed the streets singing and chanting solidarity songs to express their displeasure towards what they described as “the prolonged closure of their schools and unfair hike in tuition fees.”
The protesters, mostly students of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OSCATECH), Igboora, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education (EACOED), Oyo, and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) marched around the capital city under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The intervention of combined security operatives ensured that the protest went on peacefully as the students in their hundreds marched to the state government’s Secretariat.
The main secretariat entrance gates were shut for about five hours with security operatives taking positions to prevent a bombardment by the protesting students.
Speaking during the protest, the Chairma of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Oyo State Chapter, Morounkola Teslim, decried the inability of the schools management and state government to come up with the right modalities to resolve the impasse.
“We are here to show our displeasure to the society and to the Oyo State Government concerning two of our state-owned tertiary institutions which have been closed for the past four months and LAUTECH whose tuition fee has been increased.
“Government claimed that the reason for the closure is subvention but stated that it has increased subvention to 70 percent and that management should augment with 30 percent for salaries of workers to be paid. But, it is quite unfortunate that the management has been unable to supplement the subvention they were given.
“The situation is such that it is either government increases subvention to 100 percent or prevails on management to do the needful. How can we be kept at home for four months because the management and government are unable to find a way to pay the salaries of lecturers.
“Few days ago, we heard that the school fees of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, has been increased from N65,000 and 70,000 to N200,000 and N250,000. We believe that such exorbitant school fees will lead to students’ dropout.
“If the governor fails to speak with us, we will leave and hope to hear from the government. If we don’t hear from government, we will reinforce and come back here in seven days.”
Students of Oyo tertiary institutions protest tuition hike in Ibadan
Jeremiah Oke, Ibadan
Students from Oyo state-own higher institution on Thursday blocked major roads linking the Government House, Agodi in Ibadan to protest the recent tuition hike in the schools.
The students stormed the streets singing and chanting solidarity songs to express their displeasure towards what they described as “the prolonged closure of their schools and unfair hike in tuition fees.”
The protesters, mostly students of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OSCATECH), Igboora, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education (EACOED), Oyo, and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) marched around the capital city under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The intervention of combined security operatives ensured that the protest went on peacefully as the students in their hundreds marched to the state government’s Secretariat.
The main secretariat entrance gates were shut for about five hours with security operatives taking positions to prevent a bombardment by the protesting students.
Speaking during the protest, the Chairma of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Oyo State Chapter, Morounkola Teslim, decried the inability of the schools management and state government to come up with the right modalities to resolve the impasse.
“We are here to show our displeasure to the society and to the Oyo State Government concerning two of our state-owned tertiary institutions which have been closed for the past four months and LAUTECH whose tuition fee has been increased.
“Government claimed that the reason for the closure is subvention but stated that it has increased subvention to 70 percent and that management should augment with 30 percent for salaries of workers to be paid. But, it is quite unfortunate that the management has been unable to supplement the subvention they were given.
“The situation is such that it is either government increases subvention to 100 percent or prevails on management to do the needful. How can we be kept at home for four months because the management and government are unable to find a way to pay the salaries of lecturers.
“Few days ago, we heard that the school fees of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, has been increased from N65,000 and 70,000 to N200,000 and N250,000. We believe that such exorbitant school fees will lead to students’ dropout.
“If the governor fails to speak with us, we will leave and hope to hear from the government. If we don’t hear from government, we will reinforce and come back here in seven days.”
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