Osun Students Protest Alleged “Hike” In Tuition Fees

Students from different state-owned tertiary institutions in the State of Osun today protested hike in their tuition fees.

The students who in their numbers were involved in the protest marched through the popular Olaiya Junction before heading to the Bola Ige House of the State Secretariat, Abere where they met with government officials.

However, two of the students sustained injuries while battling with security agents who used teargas when it was discovered that the students were going violent.

The students comprising those of the State Colleges of Education in Ila Orangun and Ilesa alongside those of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke, The State Polytechnic, Iree and the Osun State University bemoaned the recent hike in their school fees by authorities.

One of the leaders of the protesting students, Muftau Saheed told journalists that “We are protesting because the state government increased our school fees and imposed several levies on us. This includes resource fee, computer fee, registration fee and examination fee. We will not agree with that payment structure, our fees has risen from N25,000 to N75,000 as a result of this exorbitant fee.”

He decried the situation calling on government to reverse the fees to status quo.

The State Commissioner For Education, Mr Kola Young and the Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Tertiary Education and Bursary,  Prof Grace Akinola addressed the protesters.

Prof Akinola told the aggrieved students that the school fees was not hiked and that other fees brought up are optional and students could choose not to pay.

“The other fees are not compulsory and you can decide not to pay, your school fees still remain the same and has not been increased. The ICT, Resource fees, Registration fee could be jettisoned, but you may not graduate without paying them.”

The protesters however left for the State Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo to treat their injured colleagues threatening to return next Monday if their grievances were not addressed.

The State Government has however denied putting up any hike in the tuition fees of its Higher Institutions.

A release by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa stated that “As at today, the tuition fees of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and the College of Technology, Esa-Oke remain N25, 000 while that of Osun state College of Education, Ilesa and Ila-Orangun is still N20, 000.”

“It is pertinent to remind the people that the Aregbesola government, at its inception and without being persuaded in 2011 reduced the tuition fees of all the state-owned tertiary institutions from N45, 000 to N25, 000. Since the reduction in 2011, the government has not put a penny on the tuition fees.”