Protesting students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, disrupted activities on the campus over an alleged increase in the acceptance fee for freshers on Monday.
An increase in the institution's school fees for new students, from N17,000 to about N100,000, with N20,000 acceptance fee, was recently announced by the institution's authorities.
Students, who called the increase unjustified, trooped out carrying placards with inscriptions like “OAU Students Say No To Increment”, “The Poor Deserve Quality Education Too”in protest and successfully halted economic and academic activities in and the campus.
President-elect of OAU Student Union Government (SUG), Comrade Isaac Ibikunle, said the school's authorities failed to reconsider.
“We have exhausted all peaceful means, we have consulted union bodies like ASUU, NASU and even the alumni body of the institution to help us appeal to the management to reverse the fee but to no avail," he said.
A source quoted by Osun Defender said the students chose to protest only after negotiations failed to bring a change.
“The SUG decided to adopt the strategy of Negotiation first but after Negotiation the management only decide to deduct 17,000 from the fee threatening to shut down the school,” the source said.
Meanwhile, OAU's Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju called the protests 'absurd' and insisted that the increment was inevitable if the institution must maintain academic excellence.
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