16th October, 2014
Harrison Iyoha
Students of Adenira Ogunsanya College Of Education, AOCOED, Oto Ijanikin, Badagry Expressway, Lagos State have appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raja Fashola to look into the hike in their school fees.
The students led by Ojoare Waheed Olamilekan, president of the Student Union Government, SUG, told our correspondent that they are not happy with the increase in their school fees.
According to him, “in 2006, we were paying 17,00 but as we speak now our school fees has been increased to N40,000. How do they expect our parents to cope?”
Ojoare also told P.M.NEWS Campus Square that they are displeased with the way the school is being neglected by the state government.
AOCOED was recently awarded the best teaching institution in the country by the National Commission for Colleges of Education. NCCE .
“Many of our students aren’t financial fit as they are mostly children of the masses who receive less than 18,000 minimum wage in the state,” he said.
The SUG president also told our reporter that they are not planning to take to the streets but if nothing is done to address what he tagged the “outrageous school fees”, the students would be left with no option than to do the needful.
“Our confrontation isn’t necessary when dialogue is given a room. It is unimaginable when a college of education with certification in NCE request higher school fees than a university with an award of bachelor’s degree.
“I want to inform the state governor that students of AOCOED pay higher school fees than students of Lagos State University, LASU, and after the course of programmes, the NCE graduates are denied employment opportunities in the state,” he added,
“Are these not enough reasons for us to take to the streets? We are only watching to see how this plays out before we take it to them in the language they understand.
“Let it be clear to them that we, as part of the SUG, are the foremost representatives of students. We crave for the progress of this great citadel of learning. We shall continue to say no to high tuition fee.”
Ojoare told our reporter that they have every reason to believe they are being shortchanged at AOCOED by the state government.
“How do you describe a situation where the state government is focusing its resources on LASU?
“Presently, there are massive constructions going on there. There is a construction of a seven-storey senate building, four-storey central library, students’ union arcade, faculty of Law lecture theatre.
“New science complex, LASU radio, school of transport, new faculty of management , all by the Lagos state government. Yet LASU students pay 25,000, while we pay more and virtually little or nothing is invested in our school.
“Despite the high fees, our theatre-arts students have no departmental classrooms nor theatre. There are many dilapidated buildings on campus, no good road-links, lack of banking halls or allocated space for financial institution, ill equipped health centre and no hostels,” he lamented.
The students are now pleading with the state government to, as a matter of urgency, consider their demands.
These, he said, include the reversal of their tuition fees, immediate reconsideration of the NCE graduates in Lagos state employment scheme and upgrade of the college to University of Education like Tai-Solarin University of Education
The students also demanded for the construction of hostels and invitation of more banks to the campus for students’ learning conveniences.