AGAIN, TASUED STUDENTS PROTEST TUITION HIKE

The students of Tai Solarin University Of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, have taken their protest against the newly increased tuition fee by the management to the Benin-Ore expressway in the Ijebu-Ode area of the State, in the early hours of Wednesday.

This was in agitating for a reduction of their tuition fee.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the protesters had stormed the aforementioned expressway, restricted movement and were persistent on the revolution.

They bore placards with inscriptions such as ‘I am not into fraud, I cannot afford N180K’, ‘Have mercy on our parent, we cannot afford N180k and above’, ‘Say no to increment, TASUED Sorosoke, do not suffocate us’, ‘Should I go and steal to pay school fees?’, among others.

The students came out en mass, boycotting the 2022/2023 second semester examination scheduled to be held today after a statement by the students’ union was released to the public.

The statement signed by the union president, Akinjetan Emmanuel, and its spokesperson, Olarenwaju Olawale Daniel, partly reads “During the meeting, we engaged In a constructive and productive dialogue with the management, presenting your concerns and advocating for a solution that takes into account the financial circumstances of our university community. The union expresses the students’ deep pains regarding the recent school fee increment. This sudden increment will cause significant hardship for many of us.

“The management has insisted on a 10 per cent reduction. We want you to note that we did not agree to this. The meeting ended in deadlock and it is so disappointing, but we would not let this setback discourage us”, the statement reads.

This led the school management to declare the end-of-session holiday for 2022/2023, even while the second-semester examination is ongoing.

In a memo released by the institution, all students have been directed to vacate the varsity premises immediately pending the period the new academic session would commence.

“Parents are advised to recall their wards back home and ensure their safety,” it added.

The students had earlier on Monday staged a protest to kick against the increase in tuition fees from between N65,000 and N70,000 to N240,000.

Our correspondent gathered that the returning students, who were expecting to pay N65,000, will now pay N180,000, while fresh students are to pay N240,000 aside from other fees.