A respected scholar and Professor of Chemical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Shuaib Ajiboye Osunleke has reacted the decision of the management of OAU to increase the institution’s fees.
Recall that the management of the University on Tuesday announced the new school fees payable by both new and returning students of the institution ahead of the 2023/2024 academic session.
A statement released by its Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju said the revised fees are applicable to the 2023 academic session alone.
The statement noted that the adjustments were approved during an emergency meeting of the University Senate on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, and cut across various faculties.
According to him, “for those in the Faculties of Arts, Law and Humanities , the ‘freshers’ will pay #151, 200 while returning students of the same faculties will pay #89,200.
“For those in the Faculties of Technology and Science, the new students will pay #163, 200 and the returning students of the same faculties are to pay #101, 200.
“In addition, the new students being admitted into the Faculties in the College of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Pharmacy are to pay #190, 200 ( new students) and #128, 200 ( returning students) respectively. “
Reaction
Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, Prof . Osunleke stated that it is not the school fees that was increased but the sundry charges like ID card, acceptance fee, health centre and others that were increased.
While giving out reason for the increment, he said, “I have two opinions on this: one as a staff and other as a parent. Because as a staff, I understand the problems being faced by the University Management. I am a part and parcel of the system. In some of our laboratories, we don’t have enough equipments to teach and to train our students. We need chemicals especially in the sciences and technology and health sciences. So this is the baseline for increment which everybody and every rational being will know things are on the high cost.
“It is logical. We can not survive if we continue that way. Otherwise, the Federal University which we all enjoy will be down. There won’t be anything left here.
“So as a parent, we know things are very hard; I mean, from all sides, all angles. So things are really very hard now. As a parent, our salary cannot take us home. Even as a parent, we won’t be able to afford to pay that amount which is supposed of us. We all hope that Federal Government increased the salary of the civil servants across the board so that they will be able to pay, and they will be able to discharge their community responsibility by assisting other people.”
While giving out better options to the development, Osunleke appealed to the management to allow students to pay the new fees installmentally.
He also disclosed that the University is planning on ways to mitigate the effects of the new fees by trying to assist the students.
