AAUA management had on Thursday announced that all students of the institution should swear an oath and pay N20,000 as reparations for damaged school property during a protest last year.
The Joint Campus Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students has condemned the management of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, for instructing students to pay N20,000 as “reparation fee” before the school would be reopened and allowed to continue academic activities.
AAUA management had on Thursday announced that all students of the institution should swear an oath and pay N20,000 as reparations for damaged school property during a protest last year.
The students had protested against the institution’s policy of “no tuition payment, no examination”.
Reacting in a statement by its Chairman, Comrade Omotoso Surprise, and Secretary, Comrade Akinola Elijah Temitope, Ondo NANS JCC described the fee as obnoxious and as a heavy tax on parents still battling with unpaid salaries and wages.
The association said the levy slammed on the students was unfavorable and anti-student.
The statement reads, “In regards to the recent circular been published by Adekunle Ajasin University management in respond to the violent protest participated by some few student which was penetrated as a counter reaction to the institution "No School Fee, No Exam Policy" in the last postponed examination schedule.
“It is obvious that the school management in their recent published direction on procedural route of reopening the institution and making the students learn their lesson had no considerable influence as demonstrated by unbearable and unaffordable amount of twenty thousand naira (N20,000) payable amount by each student as a means to right the wrongs penetrated by some few students during the protest.
“As a concerned body, we stand against the institution directive as it is too harsh and unfriendly.
“The subject matter of the protest was the inability of majority of the students to meet up with their school fees payment, now to think of this new published directive of the management that each student must pay N20,000 and other significant conditions, meanwhile during the intra campus tour of the adhoc panel set up by the institution, it was seen that what was damaged during the protest are not up to N10,000,000.
“It is expected of the school management to be a leading role model in dispensation of fair judgement and equity, as the school remains the root and stem of the personality of the students she produced in the outer world.
“In the past, the school has demonstrated maximum tolerance an civility, as a body, we will seek to enjoy more of the civility by the institution to help ameliorate or better still, be more considerate to their dispensation of fairness to the students.
“Consequently, we beseech all AAUAITES and the entire University community to keep calm as all hands are on deck to address the pertinent issues on ground.”