Massive protests rocked the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, Ondo State, as students kicked against the over 300 percent increase in fees by the school authorities.
The angry students, who shut the school gates as early as 6:30 a.m. on Monday, barricaded the busy Akure-Ilesa highway and called for the immediate reversal of the hike by the university authorities.
Displaying placards with various inscriptions and chanting solidarity songs, the students insisted that “the management must return to the status quo; otherwise, the protest will continue until the reversal by the authorities.
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Speaking on the protest, the President of the FUTA Student Union (FUTASU), Comrade Olayemi Oluwasoromidayo, said that “it was unwise for the institution to make the move in view of the current economic challenges in the country.
Oluwasoromidayo said that “the student body had met with the management countless times, but it refused to yield to their demands, hence their decision to stage a protest.
He noted that the last increment done by the institution was not up to one year.
According to the union president, “the management had increased the school fees to over N200,000 for fresh students, while old students who were paying N35,000 would now pay N130,000.
In a swift reaction, the university authorities have ordered the indefinite postponement of the resumption of students for the 2023–2024 academic session.
A statement issued by the institution’s Director of Corporate Communication, Adegbenro Adebanjo, directed all students on campus and in hostels to vacate within 24 hours.
Adebanjo said that “tuition for students is free but that certain consumables and payments for municipal services were increased.
According to him, “registration of returning students via the university portal and payment of fees by all returning students for the new academic session via the portal scheduled to begin on Monday, January 15, 2024, will be put on hold.
“It is important to state that the university did not open the portal for registration for returning students for the new session, contrary to what was being bandied in the public domain.
“On the proposed new fees and charges, they are mainly for student-related services that are sourced from the economy. And the costs of such goods and services provided by the university for the students will certainly be impacted by the costs of goods and services in the economy.
“To ensure smooth running of the university, certain consumables and payments for municipal services such as electricity, water, hostel maintenance and cleaning, and sundry other services are necessary, and the costs of providing the services have shot up, and the new charges are in response to this.
“Other costs that were adjusted as a result of economic reality include medical examinations for all new students, biometric ID cards, the Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP) administered by NHIS for students, and the final year book. It is important to say that tuition is free and no money is being charged as a tuition fee.
Adebanjo added that “The management reiterates that tuition remains free for all students and that it has an inbuilt mechanism within the system to look into and build consensus on matters affecting students, including charges and fees. And that mechanism is working on this matter, and consensus will be achieved.”
