State varsity students shut down Akure over fee hike
Few days after over 200 pregnant women who registered for ante-natal treatment in Ondo State General Hospital Akure shut down the hospital protesting against increment in hospital fees, students of the state-owned university, Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko also took to the streets protesting the hike in fees, paralyzing activities in the sunshine capital.
The students in their thousands had stormed the streets as early as 7, 30 am, blocking the roads at strategic locations and matching to the Oja Oba area where the road to the palace of the Deji Of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Ogunlade was also blocked.
Commercial social activities and were grounded all day as the students chanted antigovernment songs. Not even the anti-riot policemen who went to the street to dislodge them using tear gas moved the students.
The state government and the governing council had last week approved the increase in tuition fee from average of N30,000 to N180,000 and N200,000.
The Chairman, Governing Council of the school, Dr Tunji Abayomi, said the university was facing financial difficulties and if the fees were not increased the system could collapse.
He said the state government was spending N5.7 billion yearly to run the university while its total income stood at N2.7 billion, and that the time had come to save it from total collapse which necessitated increase in fees.
The student union leaders had earlier met with the Governing Council, with
the Vice Chancellor and the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in attendance last week when the students rejected the increment and directed all students not to pay any fees until further notice.
The student leaders, namely the SUG President, Ijanusi Olawale, the NAOSS President, Akeredolu Emmanuel and the JCC Chairman, Adewumi Adebowale had vowed to protest the increase.
By press time, the students had directed that the protest should continue until the government reversed the decision. the new the school