by ‘Jola Sotubo

Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U) in Ile-Ife, Osun yesterday took to the streets to air their grievances over an increase in their school fees.

The aggrieved students blocked a major road in the state which leads to Abuja, Ekiti, Ondo and Ibadan thereby causing a traffic gridlock.

The students said the fee increase was an attempt to take educatio away from the poor and make it an exclusive preserve of the rich.

The Nation reports:

The management of O.A.U., at its last Senate meeting, increased the fee of new students in the Faculty of Humanities/Social Sciences by 322 per cent; Clinical Sciences and Pharmacy by 267 per cent, and Sciences by 253 per cent.

With the increment, new students will pay between N92,400 and N104,000, excluding N20,000 acceptance fee, as against the previous N37,150 and N44,150.

President of the Students’ Union Ibikunle Isaac who led the protesters, said they have negotiated with the management to reduce the fee to no avail.

He said: “Consultations have failed and the whole Nigeria must hear us as they did about three years ago. We want peace but we are not scared of crisis and we will not allow the legacy of our founding fathers to die.”

Isaac said the increase was not justifiable because the school generates fund from various sources.