Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have received an appeal to halt their tuition fee payments in response to the reduction in fee increments by the university’s management.
The Students’ Union President of the institution, Abass Akinremi Ojo, and the Secretary General, Akinboni Opeyemi, jointly issued this call in a statement released on Tuesday and shared with our correspondent.
They expressed appreciation for the university’s management for its willingness to accommodate concessions and fee reductions. Nonetheless, the union leadership clarified that no formal agreement had been reached with the school management regarding the fee increase.
As reported by The PUNCH, the university’s management recently revised the tuition fees for its students. According to a statement from the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, released in Osogbo on Monday, the management lowered the fees following discussions with the students.
Olanrewaju noted that the Students’ Union leaders had persisted in their demand for a 50% reduction in fees. He further stated that the university’s management had clarified that the new charges represented the minimum amount required for the efficient operation of the university.
In addition, Vice-Chancellor Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire announced the revised charges as follows:
“For the students in Humanities, the initial sundry charges of #89, 200 for returning students have been reduced to #76,000 while for the new students in the Humanities, the initial fees of #151,200 have been reduced to #131,000.
“For those in the Sciences and Technology, the initial charges of #101,200, for returning students is now #86,000 while the new students in the same Faculties will now pay #141,000 instead of the initial #163,200.
“In the same vein, the returning students in the Pharmacy and College of Health Sciences will now pay #109,000, instead of #128,200. The new students in the same Faculties will now pay #164,000 instead of the initial charges of #190,000,” the statement partly read.
It added that the university management has agreed that the payment can be made in two equal installments.
Meanwhile, the union while explaining why there was no agreement with the school management as regards the increment of school fees said, “The leadership of the union recognizes the supremacy of congressional resolutions and on this basis, has not been authorized to agree to any other figure besides the 50 per cent increase as agreed at the congress.”
The statement disclosed that the leadership of the union would meet with the relevant committee set up by the congress and would also table the discussions with the management before the congress for open deliberation by students.
“On this note, we hereby urge students of our noble union to suspend any payment activities until a final and favourable agreement has been made,” the leadership of the union concluded.
