On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the Student Union Executives held a meeting with student leaders across various halls, faculties, departments, religious bodies and the press, in response to fee hike. The meeting focused on developing a unified strategy to address the financial burden placed on students by the increment. At the end of this meeting, key decisions were reached including directing students to boycott payment of school fees till further notice.
While is not the first time that the Student Union would be offering a glimmer of hope for the students’ plight on this issue, one thing is constant from previous administrations, this hope usually dies a natural death. But because the leadership of the union is in a position to take a stance, they end up biting more than they can chew. That is, their stance and recommended solutions end up with little or no implementation.
Following the stakeholder’s meeting, the Students Representative Council (SRC) passed a motion for a congress to be held to hear from the Union’s executive the update about the agitation against fee hike and also reach further conclusions on steps to be taken going forward. At that point that the announcement of a congress was made, no matter how little, the hope was raised again. The prospect of a united student front pushing back against the fee hike seemed promising once more. However, it is still important to note that while students were looking forward to the conversations at the congress, the resolution of the stakeholders meeting remained elusive, and naturally springs oodles of questions to mind such as: when will the union’s supposed action-plan effect concrete change? Should students still wait or otilo?
In the absence of answers to these burning questions on students’ lips, it has also led to a diverse perception: some are confused; some are in the waiting room and others seem to have lost hope in the union. All these and even more were what the congress was going to address but in less than 48 hours to this gathering of students, the union executive postponed the congress due to unforeseen circumstances. The implication is that this would further worsen the situation, elongating the period of stay in the waiting room for some and leaving many students in a stagnant state. Naturally, students still expect that the Congress will be held anytime soon, but the bigger question now is: does the current executive have a strategy that is firm enough to alter the management’s decision at this point in the session?
From all indications, it appears that the practicality of achieving a rollback or significant reduction in fees is uncertain. Administrative decisions, particularly those involving financial matters often adhere to complex institutional protocols and financial imperatives that may outweigh student protests and appeals. But while this is still largely debated, the prolonged uncertainty has not only strained the trust between the union and the student populace, it has also underscored broader systemic challenges within the university’s governance and decision-making processes. Students, already burdened with academic pressures and financial constraints, find themselves caught in a web of conflicting information and indecision.
Meanwhile, this was not the promise when these executives were aspiring for the offices they occupy today. For example, part of the promises made by the President of the union, Aweda Bolaji, was that he would bring a different approach to leadership to the table, a new vision backed up by a wealth of experience and run a more inclusive union, but this is barely six weeks into the session, and all these are yet to be implemented. UCJUI spoke with multiple students across various faculties and the responses revealed that many already lost trust in the leadership of the union to amplify their voices, a narrative that should not thrive if the executives are religious in their confrontation with the management. As it stands, no known dialogue has happened with the management since the Aweda-led administration assumed office, and from the last tenure experience, it seems like the battle against fee hikes might have been lost again.
While the legality of the union’s executive postponing the congress is still being contested by ‘Egbe Majeobaje’ a faction in the SRC, the deadline for fee payments draws closer and the stake grows higher for students who face the prospect of additional financial penalties for non-compliance. The union’s credibility and effectiveness strongly hang in the balance, with the outcome likely to shape future student-administration interactions and the perception of student governance within the university. This is not the time for the union to be sluggish in their approach to agitating for student interest. The road that leads to the victory land is obviously rough, but getting there is not even certain if the leadership is not putting corresponding efforts to get there. For how long does the union want to continue to treat this matter as secondary?
Finally, the union must urgently reassess its strategies, enhance transparency in its communications, and swiftly deliver on its promise to regain the trust and support of the student body during the electioneering period. The current impasse serves as a stark reminder of the complexities inherent in student activism and institutional governance, urging stakeholders to seek sustainable resolutions that prioritize the welfare and aspirations of the students.
