On Monday, some students from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta, Ogun State, gathered at the school’s entrance to voice their displeasure over a number of issues, including the increase in the acceptance fee paid by newly accepted students.
The students gathered at the university entrance as early as 7 a.m., carrying signs that read, among other things, “No to Tuition Fee Increase,” “Rector Must Go,” and “Release Our Result ASAP.”
According to information obtained by PUNCH Metro, problems affecting students included late results, a staffing deficit, and an increase in the admittance fee for new students.
Babatunde Adelola, the institution’s students union governor, said that the management claimed the school was not receiving enough state funding, which led to a rise in the admittance fee for new students from N35,000 to N50,500.
Adelola bemoaned the one-year average waiting period for the delivery of a semester’s results.
According to him, this has a negative impact on students’ academic performances.
“We have many reasons to protest. Recently, the school said they are not getting funding from the state government and they need to generate funds internally which was why they increased the acceptance fee from N35,000 to N50,500.
“Aside from the hike in fee, the delay in the release of our result is affecting students. For instance, those who graduated last session are yet to be mobilised for service, I am in HND 2 second semester and I am yet to see the result of the exams I did in HND 1 second semester. This is affecting students because they do not know their academic standing and how well to prepare for next exams.”
Adelola noted that all efforts made by the student body to dialogue with the polytechnic’s Rector, Adeoye Odedeji, has proved abortive due to his unavailability.
He, however, demanded immediate reversal of the fee and urgent release of outstanding results.
“We requested to meet the Rector through the DSA but we were told that he is not available. They gave us another appointment again which they did not honour. Last Monday when the non-academic staff decided to protest was when they asked us to meet again but it also failed.
“We are demanding immediate reversal of the acceptance fee back to status-quo and urgent release of outstanding results,” he concluded
Another student of the institution, Olamide Ojelade, expressed fear that the increase in acceptance fee can also lead to increase in school fee if tolerated.
Ojelade declared, “The acceptance used to be N25,500 before it was increased to N35,000 and now it has been increased to N50,500. Before they increase school fees again, that is why we are protesting.”
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, “Yemi Ajibola, said that the students did not inform the school of their grievances which makes it difficult for such grievances to be addressed.
“The management is not aware of their grievances because they did not inform us of any reason why they are protesting. The management needs to be informed of what their grievances are for the management to be able to sit and deliberate on it. If they channel their grievances appropriately, it will be attended to,” Ajibola concluded.