20th June, 2014
Akintola Lukmon
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife Osun State, have made a strong declaration of no retreat no surrender following the refusal of the university’s management to reduce the school fees.
The students, who on Monday continued with the protest they started a few weeks ago, stated that the school management must meet their demands otherwise no academic activity will take place in the institution.
President of the school’s Students Union Government, Ibikunle Isaac Motunrayo, told P.M.NEWS Campus Square that the students will not stand down until the management reduce or revert to the old school fees.
“The school management has refused to hear our plea, or even reason with us and that is why we are also determined to continue the protest.
We will not stand down until something reasonable is done. “Although some freshers and stalites have started paying the fees but their percentage is low compared to those that have not paid.
“A lot of freshers have not resumed because they can not afford the fees. This is what we are against. As students of OAU, the school is our pride and now they are taking it away from us, “he said.
Also speaking about the students’ stand, the Students’ Union Public Relation Officer, Bamidele Oludare Joseph, disclosed that the union is strongly supported by the Non-Academic Union of University NASUU, OAU chapter, Academic Staff Union Of Universities ASUU, OAU chapter and other stake holders in the institution.
According to him, “Great Ife students’ union are not alone in this protest, we have the support of ASUU, NASUU, SSANU and other stake holders. So we strongly believe that the crisis will be resolved in our favour.
“We have also locked the university’s Senate building and the computer centre to make the school management understand that we are determined to go to any lengths in this struggle. It will be in the best interest of all to review the hike in our school fees.”
P.M.NEWS Campus Square gathered that the protest started around 8am on Monday, when the students marched to the university’s Senate building with their placards and leaves to express their anger.
It was also learnt that OAU students locked the Senate building with their chains and padlocks after asking all workers in to vacate their offices to which they all complied.
However at the institution’s computer centre, when the students asked all the officers to vacate the building, none of them left.The students reportedly locked all of them inside the building.
It was gathered that new students also joined the protest as the freshers’ screening process was suspended.