AAUA students reject new fees, insist on reduction

Students of Ekiti origin at the Adekunke Ajasin University, Akungba (AAUA), Ondo State on Tuesday rejected the new fees introduced by the authorities of the university, describing it as "too high and unacceptable." The students said that the institution’s authorities did not consider the current economic realities in the country before arriving at the current […]

Students of Ekiti origin at the Adekunke Ajasin University, Akungba (AAUA), Ondo State on Tuesday rejected the new fees introduced by the authorities of the university, describing it as "too high and unacceptable."

The students said that the institution’s authorities did not consider the current economic realities in the country before arriving at the current regime of fees, and urged the school authorities to reconsider their stand.

The students delegation made up of eight and led by Mr. Sunday Olumide Omojoja said they came as a delegation of Federation of Ekiti Students Union (FESSU), AAUA chapter.

They appealed to the Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and the Vice Chancellor of AAUA, Professor Amos Igbekele Ajibefun, "to look kindly into the hike in fees with a view to reducing it because it is just too high and unacceptable."

Omojola said the leadership of the Students Union in the institution had spoken on the fees, saying "we adopt the stand of our student leaders that there should be no increment in the fees of returning students, while we agree that freshers should be made to pay a 30 percent increment."

According to some of the students, "we sponsor ourselves in school and with this kind of increment, many of the students would drop out."

They also criticised new introductions in their payments, such as professional fees, results processing fees, registration records fees, laboratory, workshop and field trip fees, students’ health insurance fees.

"We also reject the high increment in the existing fees. For example, our tuition fee was increased from N4,000 to N61,000. This is just too high. It is unacceptable.

"We appeal to the state government, particularly Governor Akeredolu (SAN) to please reduce the fees because many of us are self-sponsoring and our parents cannot afford the new fees."