Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, have appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to fulfill the promise he made to them on reduction in the fees charged by the management of the university or be ready to lose the February 2015 presidential election.
The Student Union President, Mr. Isaac Ibikunle, and the Secretary, Mr. Oludare Bamidele, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Monday.
The president had held a brief meeting with the student union leaders when he visited the OAU to attend a political meeting organised by some Yoruba leaders on the campus.
Ibikunle had told our correspondent that the President promised to act fast on the demands of the students for reduction in the fees charged by the management of the university.
He noted that some students from poor background had dropped out of school because of the exorbitant fees being charged by higher institutions.
The student stated that crime would continue to be on the increase if education, which is the only sure way to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, was priced out of the reach of poor students.
He said OAU students and the entire students all over the country would work against the president if he fails to fulfill the promise he made to them on the fees and other matters relating to the education sector. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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STUDENTS CRYING OUT, SCHOOL FEES INFLATED AGAIN!!! The Management of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun Delta State(FUPRE) keeps inflating the Students Charge annually in a bid to convert the school to catchment area for the rich. The rich pay little or no tax, the poor and average Nigerians pay more chunk of the tax and yet the dividend of the tax is still channelled to the rich.
ReplyDeleteThe Students of the University endured the highest level of hike last session when the charges for fresh student was increased by 103.78% and the charges of the returning students was increased by 59.57%. This hike ended the educational pursuit of some returning students while some who had worked to secure an admission had to forfeit it. Despite the hike, the services rendered by the management keep decreasing in quality. With the poor quality of service the previous session, the students were hoping for a reduction when the school still went ahead to increase the fresh students charges by 27.43% of the previous session and the the returning students charges was increased by 28.99% of the previous session charges.
The Union frown at this and demands that it should be returned to the previous session school charges as a lot of supposed returning students are contemplating dropping-off while some newly admitted students are pleading with union not to allow them forfeit their only opportunity after years of seeking admission.
The economy is hard and yet, the Management sees the Students as a mean of annual extortion for maintenance of whatever form. Imagine the average charge breakdown for an incoming fresh student:
School Charges = #88,000:00k
Acceptance Fee = #45,000:00k
Accommodation = #30,000:00k (which is not available to all; thereby demanding the student to consider the FUPRE Hike/Population-Explosion-Influenced Host Community for rent which will not be less than #100,000:00k)
Field Trip = #15,000:00k
Hence the minimum amount a new students needs to resume stands at #148,000:00k (this total is exclusive of College Clearance, Physic Practical Registration, Chemistry Practical Registration, GSE Registration, ICT Registration Charge etc)
This under all circumstance is to be unheard of in a Federal University. Students should not be a source of IGR but rather, the university should invest in business that yield income)
The Union request that the school charges should be returned to status-quo as at the last Academic Session and reject the new school charges
Attached to this mail is a copy of the following:
2. Comparative FUPRE School Charges Chart for 5 Academic Sessions (2011/2012 - 2015/2016)
3. FUPRE School Charges Inflation Rate for 5 Academic Sessions (2011/2012 - 2015/2016)
Please assist the voice of Nigeria Students.