By: Sonaike Peter
Students of the University of Ibadan have reacted to the resolutions culling from the ‘student stakeholders’ meeting held on Wednesday, 12th June, 2024.
Stakeholders resolved during the meeting that students should hold off from paying the new regime of fees levied for the 2023/2024 academic session.
Resolutions reached at the meeting were: an online campaign emphasizing students dissatisfaction; sensitization to align students to the standpoint of the Union on the issue; constituting a committee to review the fees with the view to proposing a workable fees for students.
Reacting, Mide Gbadegesin, a Postgraduate stated that the resolution amounted to nothing concrete, as such resolves had been made and executed by the past administration without a positive change.
“The student stakeholders should spare us their dilly dally and they should not continue to insult our intelligence. Online campaign? Ad hoc committee? Critical review? Aren’t these the resolutions and moves of the previous administration? What has changed? Nothing,” he said.
“They can continue to pretend not to know what should be done or they can continue on their wild goose chase. It is up to them. We can’t continue to do the same passive thing and expect a change” he added.
Olarinde Peter, a student of the Faculty of Law stated that the effort of the Union towards influencing the reversion of the fees has always ended up in futility.
“Still trying to gain attention of the populace? At this point, how much have they been able to gain. Freshers who can afford have already started to pay the fees” he said.
“The Students’ Union efforts are not yielding signs of being fruitful.This is the time when we now have to start gaining the attention of the populace” Peter added.
Also, Adeoti Adebare, a 300-level student studying Political science charged the University management to consider the current plight of economy and reduce the fees drastically.
“Nothing to say more than the school should consider the current plight of the Nigerian Economy. The price should be reduced drastically because of many numerous factors emanating from the fact that most students attending Federal Universities already see this as the last sort of the common man” Adebare noted.
For Jonathan Aloba, a 300-level student in the Department of Art and Social Sciences Education said he is in support of the resolution of the Stakeholders, while encouraging fellow students to hold on payment.
“I feel the school fee is too much. Last session, mine was around #60, 000 but it is over #86,000. I agreed with what the Union said and I support it hundred percent” he said.
Blessing Awoyemi, a student of Computer Science charged the Union to continue the campaign until there is a positive feedback from the University Management.
Blessing commended the resolution of the Union to review the fees with the view to proposing a payble fees.
“If the Union can reach out to few Broadcasting stations and join hands with students in this movement, it will really add more advantage to the cause,” Blessing said.
“The Union should continue the online campaign till there’s a positive feedback from the University management” he added.
“There is a need to connect all Federal Universities through a joint platform/group, so that there can be general mobilisation and sensitization concerning the fee hike” he concluded.
