Students from some parts of the country at the weekend turned the Ekiti State University, EKSU, Ado-Ekiti to their second home, following the deadline given the authorities of the institution to reverse the increase in tuition fees.
The students had earlier given the management 48 hours to take another look at the development or risk protest by the students.
Following the development, the National Association of Nigerian Students Task Force on School Fees Increment NANS-SFIT, South West Zone, former National President of NANS, Comrade Sunday Asefon, the current Vice President External Affairs, Comrade Akinteye Afeez and other leaders of the student body yesterday met with Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, over the matter.
A source at the meeting told Vanguard that it was a follow up to the one held with the management of the institution led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Edward Olanipekun, a day earlier
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The Task Force has Comrade Wande Ajayi, as the Chairman, and Comrade Adejuwon Olatunji, as the Secretary of the Committee. He also doubles as the Southwest Coordinator of NANS.
Before the series of meetings, the team had issue a statement condemning the astronomical rise in the tuition fees which saw medical students being asked to pay as much N750,000. The least fee fixed was N200,000.
“The increment, which we regard is in bad faith, is aimed at pilling more untoward pressure on the already battered students of the institution considering the present state of the Nigerian economy. It is highly ignoble to test the will and might of already frustrated set of students who already are paying through the nose for the current fees.
“One wonders why they are hell bent on taking education away from the reach of the common man. We are appealing to the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji and the management of the school led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Edward Olanipekun, to immediately reverse the ungodly increment while they still can before Nigerian students, across the country are relocated to Ado-Ekiti.
“In line with the mandate bestowed on this committee by the NANS National Executive Council, we are giving the school management 48 hours to reverse the increment to status quo. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine,” the task force said in a statement before the meetings.
However, when the VC could not guarantee anything concrete regarding a possible downward review, the students demanded to meet with the governor.
During their meeting, it was gathered the governor said he would take another look at the issue, as he expressed interest in happenings in the institution being an alumnus.
The student leaders are expecting the governor to act on the matter as soon as possible. He only last week announced the constitution of a Governing Council for the school.
Apart from the national industrial action called by the national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, that lecturers in the university partook in, the workers there also embarked on a number of local strikes that have led to the students spending more years on campus than necessary.
-Vanguard
