Osun Govt. Reverses OSCOTECH Tuition Fee After Protest From Students

 

Yusuf Oketola 

THE State Government of Osun has reversed the increment in tuition fees of students of Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke after the students staged a peaceful protest to the State Secretariat, Abeere, on Monday.

The students who came out in their large numbers besieged the Hall of the Local Government Service Commission where the swearing-in of new four appointed High Court judges was going on to prevent the governor from entering.

Armed with placards with different inscriptions such as “Say No To Tax Clearance, OSCOTECH”, “No To School Fees Increment” among others, the students demanded immediate reversal of the tuition increment, describing it as callous.

However, the protesters were attended to and calmed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, who promised that their request would be look into by the Governor.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, the Students Union Government President of the institution, Comrade Isaac Akamo said they were able to meet Governor Adeleke shortly after the protest, noting that some of their demands have been addressed.

He said: “We demanded four things from the state government which are; reversal of the school fee increment, tax clearance, construction of the campus roads, illumination of the campus. 

“The school fees has now been reversed, the tax clearance has been suspended till further notice. The Governor also promised to construct the campus roads which will be done after the Deputy Governor come to inspect the condition of the campus.

“On the illumination of the campus, that will also come after meeting with the school management”.

It would be recalled that both OSCOTECH and Osun State Polytechnic, Iree tuition fees were increased at the twilight of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administration, a development that led to protests by the students.