The students of the Olabisi Onabanjo
University, OOU, have warned the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, that he
would lose the 2015 governorship election in the state if he doesn’t rescind
his decision on the school fees.
The students stated this in a press
conference held in Lagos on Monday.
“When masses say No, No Governor can
say Yes,” a placard by one of the students said. “Gov Amosun, listen to the
students now or you will…. 2015 election.”
The students have been at
loggerheads with the state government since August following their demand for
further reduction in the school’s tuition fees and immediate implementation of
the reduction.
The state government had earlier
announced a reduction which the students said was inadequate. The government
also said its reduction would commence from the next academic session.
While addressing journalists at a
media briefing organised by the Joint Action Front, JAF, the students described
the state government as a “set of shameless parents who chose to lie and
deceive their children”.
“We are ever resolute to pursue this
cause no matter what it takes, because the issue is very simple,” Olusegun
Ifade, the President of the Students Union Government, SUG, said.
“If you are talking about reduction
and you run to the media without having a conclusive or mutual agreement and
the most annoying thing is you are saying the implementation will take effect
next session, our own argument is logical and simple.
“Over 2000 students cannot pay and
have applied for leave of absence for the 2012/2013 session, and many couldn’t
return. If you now announce a reduction and you say it will take effect next
session, what of this academic session of 2013/2014?
“Do they go out of school because
they can’t pay and return next session? Is it logical? It’s not logical.
Implementation and further reduction of the fees is non-negotiable”.
The student leader also dismissed
claims by the state government that the students were being sponsored by the
opposition in the state.
“Let me also address the rumour that
we are being motivated by politicians,” Mr. Ifade said. “We all remember the
Ali-must-go protest in the 70s, we heard the students accused of being
sponsored by the opposition.”
“During the LASU struggle, they said
the 5th columnist and some politicians motivated it, but at the end of the day,
the success of the struggle showed that it was a student motivated struggle.
“It is always like that in this part
of the world, when we have a highly irresponsible government who always look
for excuse to justify their irresponsibility and that’s why they are saying the
struggle of Olabisi Onabanjo University is a politically motivated one. It is
not and it will never be,” Mr. Ifade stated.
The student leader added that
education is a right of the students and not a privilege. He urged the public
and media to support the students and disregard the government’s propaganda
against the students.
“They said it’s only 1 out of 9
tertiary institutions that is complaining,” he said. “But it is only that one
that is in 2013/2014 academic session; it is only one that pays the highest
tuition fees in the entire Nigeria; it is only that one that is still standing
and it will continue to stand.”
Also speaking at the media briefing,
Chude Achike, the Vice chairman of JAF, explained his group’s involvement in
the OOU fees hike protest.
He said the protest falls under its
“Save Nigerian public education” campaign and is based on the fact that
Nigerians have a right to proper education.
“The various governments want to
commercialise education. Education is a right of the people and the irony is
that whether the state claims to be progressive or conservative, they are not
meeting up with expectation.
“We must commend the students of
this school even in the face of propaganda, lies and various accusations.
Students of this university must learn from the struggle and victory of LASU,”
Mr. Achike said.
Students’ demands
The students demanded the immediate
re-opening of their school and said the re-opening should come with eight
conditions.
These include: further reduction in
tuition fees not exceeding a maximum of N50,000; implementation of reduction
for 2013/2014 academic session; proper funding of the university; and
reinstatement of over 3000 dropped students of the university.
Other demands include “completion of
the hostels or immediate transfer to the school management, total removal of
all security operatives- SSS, Mopol, Op-Messa, Police- from the school’s
community, and non-victimisation of our students or student leaders.”
Tuition fees in OOU currently range
from N80,000 to N350,000 depending on course of study as against the N49,000 to
N100,000 the students paid during the last administration in the state.
In other schools within the state,
Tai Solarin University of Education, TASUED, was initially increased to
N95,000; but later reduced to N69,000 as against the N52,000 students paid
before 2011 when Mr. Amosun became governor.
At the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic,
tuition fees were initially increased to N65,000 but reduced to N45,000 as
against the N38,000 paid as tuition before 2011.
When contacted by Newsroom, the
Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Yusuph Olaniyonu, declined comment on
the students demand. His counterpart in the education ministry could not be
reached.
The Management of the Olabisi
Onabanjo University also refused to speak with our reporter as the university’s
spokesperson said she was not in a position to comment.
The university has been shut by the
state government since August 22 after Mr. Amosun initially asked the students
to give him two weeks to consider their demand.
The university’s management also
proscribed the SUG for alleged “collaboration with external influences”.
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