A group, Concerned Students’ Against Tuition Fee (CSATF) has condemned the recent fees increase by the authorities of the University of Ibadan (UI) and the maltreatment of the protesters of the policy. The group, in a joint statement signed by Aduwo Ayodele, Coordinator and Olajide Olawale, Secretary, the Concerned Students’ Against Tuition Fee, stated that the continued maltreatment of anti-fee hike protestors and university-wide demonisation of the democratic right to protest.....Read The Full Story Here ▶
It called for total reversal of the fee increment for fresh and returning students of the University of Ibadan, and called for respect for the constitutional right to peaceful protest.
The group called for the cancellation of what it termed “all neoliberal fees” in UI, namely; utility, laboratory, studio and technology levies.
The group also called for reversal of accommodation fees; adequate funding of public education.
It maintained that the arrest of four anti-fee increment students’ protesters on Monday, May 13, 2024 at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan, is an unacceptable, undemocratic and despicable occurrence.
It said: “We condemn all attempts to silence or deny the incident. We equally condemn the manner at which the four protesters – comprising three students and one citizen of the country – were dragged out of the venue of the inauguration ceremony of the new University of Ibadan 2023/2024 Students’ Union leadership.
“We condemn the brutal force – beatings and hitting – directed at the students by the University of Ibadan security unit.
“We condemn the handing over of the four students to operatives of the Nigerian Army, Ibadan’s Operation Burst Headquarters Division.
“We consider the highhandedness alien to the tradition of academic freedom which the University of Ibadan as a pace-setting institution should be characterised with.
“We call on students, the Students’ Union, parents, staff, both the teaching and non-teaching staff unions, civil groups, and the mass of the Nigerian public, to condemn the daylight attack on the four Nigerians’ fundamental right to dissent.
“With the avowed purpose of the placards carried by these students being to bring the social crises of fee hike to fore, and the discountenance of the students’ community to the ears of the university administrators, we, as a pro-education right movement, enjoin the mass of students at the university to rather amplify their voices against the wake of new regime of fees.
The Bolaji Aweda-led Students’ Union leadership must beyond inaugural speech lines become proactively ready, self-convinced to consciously lead students to challenge the laxity and non-commitment of the Tinubu-led Federal Government to public education.
“The Students’ Union leadership must begin to mobilise both fresh and returning students through the act of mass education of its members on the need to align with the union in rejecting fee increment absolutely.
“We warn against both hidden and unhidden intent to modify the critical issue of fee hike to that of ‘concession and middle grounds’ despite the overwhelming estimation of haves-not and have-little in the country.
“We warn the union leadership not to neglect the ultimate call against any iota of increment.
“The union leadership should steer clear of the outstanding issues at hand. Public universities have witnessed underwhelming attention by the series of governments across the country.
“This continuing attitude which stands irreconcilable with the opulent lifestyle of the Nigerian government makes the need for the adequate funding of the country’s public education sector valid and necessary.
“While the union engages the university-wide community on the issue at hand, we more importantly urge the union leadership to channel such energy into prevailing upon the government.
“The union which knows how to invite members of the Nigerian political class to summits or for sponsorship of events must devise the means for the greater interest of students.
“The union must henceforth make its stance known, as well as champion the call for adequate funding of the country’s public universities.
“By this release, the Concerned Students Against Tuition Fee (CSATF) hereby restate our opposing standpoint to fee increment at the University of Ibadan, and by implication, the reduction of education which is a deserving and basic right, to a typical commodity, under the ill influence of ‘market prices’.
“We disagree with the view that the right to know or be enlightened in a world that is collectively ours be divided along the lines and limitation of social classes.
“We strongly condemn all attempts to ‘inflate’ the already burdening cost of education on students and parents, while maintaining the firm call for adequate funding of the education sector.