Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, have temporarily shut down the institution in response to the management’s recent refusal to reduce tuition fees, News About Nigeria gathered.
Led by the leadership of the Great Ife Students’ Union, Abbas Akinremi, the students took control of the entrance gates, preventing workers and visitors from accessing the campus.
They carried placards bearing various inscriptions, including ‘Education is bleeding, no need for celebrating independence’, ‘Let the Poor Breathe, Fees Must Fall’, and ‘My Parents are poor, can’t afford exorbitant fees’, among others.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Akinremi expressed their determination to disrupt campus activities until the management agrees to reduce the new fees by 50%, as opposed to the initially proposed 15% reduction.
“What we embarked upon is a protest-a-thon. We will continue to shut down the campus until the management heeds our demands.
“Today, we started at 7 a.m., and subsequently, in collaboration with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of Universities Students (NAUS), we will disrupt activities across the state to attract the Federal Government’s attention,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Abiodun Olarewaju, acknowledged that the school has not ruled out negotiations with the student leadership.
He urged the students to opt for peaceful dialogue rather than the disruption of activities on campus.
The standoff between the students and the university’s management continues as both parties seek a resolution to the tuition fee issue.
