Students Leaders Demand Accountability, Propose Referendum Poll Over UI Fee Hike

By Ojo Waheed

Student leaders of the University of Ibadan, representing faculties, Halls of residence, in a meeting held today, January 21, 2020, with the Student Union President, Akeju Olusegun, have demanded accountability over the hike in Technology, Medical and Sport levy for the 2020/2021 session which is set to commence virtually.

The meeting which started some minutes to 11 on Thursday, was chaired by the Student Union President, Olusegun Akeju who reported on the previous meeting which held on Monday, 18 January 2020 with the Acting Vice-Chancellor as well as other concerned stakeholders.

He reported that an agreement was reached at the last meeting that the student leaders of each faculty are to adopt the best possible resolution on the issues of freshers orientation and the general welfare of the students, and thereafter send a representative who would represent such faculty in the SU committee.

According to him, the sports council proposed an increment in the sports levy of which the University Senate approved after due consideration but in contemplation of the proposed virtual classes for the first semester, the Senate approved that only half the fee should be paid. He said that the Director of Sport has promised that new sports facilities are to be expected upon resumption.

He reported on the explanations of the Director of UHS who was reported to have said that the school has been under-charging the student by error and that the newly approved fee is the actual fee which has been due since the last session.

However, the report on the explanations of the Director of ITEMs sparked a fire of controversy.

The student leaders who seem satisfied with other reports were not convinced with the report given by the Director of ITEMs on what to expect from the increase of the technology fee from #6,500 to #10,000. There was a unanimous agreement that the explanations on the Technology fee were incoherent.

However, it was agreed that a referendum poll is set up to determine the opinion of all students on the fee hike.

Meanwhile, a student lamented the sudden skyrocket in the accommodation fee in places like Agbowo and its environs.  According to him, this is as a result of the fierce competition of student to secure an apartment outside the school since the school will not be admitting students into the school halls. He appealed to the president to help intervene.

In contrary to rumours that some set of students will be admitted into the school hall, Akeju informed that the school has not released an official statement on which student will physically resume or not. He added that even if some students are to be admitted in school, adequate information, as well as safety measures, will be released by the school.

On the issue raised by the same student that a virtual resumption is not feasible and that Covid-19 is not real, Akeju said the “the life of just one person is more important than the resumption of over 27,000 students.”