The Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state have shut the school due to the administration’s reluctance to decrease the recent tuition fee increase.
Under the leadership of Abbas Akinremi from the Great Ife Students’ Union, the students took action by closing the entrance gates, and preventing workers from entering or leaving the campus.
They held placards with various messages such as, “Education is bleeding, no need for celebrating independence”, “Let the Poor Breath, Fees must fall”, and “My Parents are poor, can’t afford exorbitant fees”, among others.
Speaking, Akinremi warned that the students would continue to disrupt school activities if the administration did not reduce the new fees by 50%, instead of the 15% reduction that had been offered.
He said, “What we embarked upon is protest-a-thorn, we will continue to shut the campus till the management heed our demands, today we started at 7 a.m. and subsequently in collaboration with the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS and National Association of Universities Students, NAUS, we will disrupt activities across the state to attract Federal Government’s attention.”
Meanwhile, the school spokesperson, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the administration is still open to negotiating with student leaders, but only if they are willing to engage in peaceful dialogue rather than disrupting campus activities.