The protesting students were seen in their large numbers in a viral video demanding the immediate reverse of the hike for the school fees for the forthcoming academic session.
An education advocacy group, the Save Public Education Campaign (SPEC) has declared its support to the students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in their ongoing fight against over 300% increment of their tuition fees by the university management.
SaharaReporters had reported how the management of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) on Monday postponed the resumption date for the 2023/24 academic session indefinitely shortly after the students held a massive protest against the purported hike in tuition fees.
The protesting students were seen in their large numbers in a viral video demanding the immediate reverse of the hike for the school fees for the forthcoming academic session.
It was learnt that the management had increased the school fees to around N131,000 for some courses which the students had described as unaffordable for their parents.
“For lecturers, no gree, For HOD, no gree, No gree for anybody. Shee your mama get money? No,” the students were heard chorusing in the viral video.
In a press statement issued by Damilola Owot, Secretary of Save Public Education Campaign (SPEC) and made available to SaharaReporters on Thursday morning, the campaign group condemned the hike in tuition fees.
The group, therefore, urged the staff and workers of the university to join the students’ struggle against the fee increment.
The statement reads: “The Save Public Education Campaign (SPEC) extends solidarity with the students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), who recently protested against the astronomic increment in the fees payable by both the fresh and returning students of the school. We condemn this recent increment and demand its total reversal.
“We call on the staff union of this university to join the students in this struggle and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to immediately declare national actions against the perpetual increment in fees across tertiary institutions in the country.
“Students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), took to the streets on Monday, 15th of January, 2023, to protest against the over 300% increment in the school fees payable by the students. According to the president of the FUTA Students Union, ‘parents of fresh students will now have to cough out over N200,000 while those of the returning students will pay in excess of N130,000 as fees for the new session.’
“We consider this as a high level of cruelty, insensitivity and unresponsiveness on the part of the management to impose such exorbitant fees on the students.
“Similarly, we are dazed by the speech of the University’s Director of Corporate Communication, Mr Adegbenro Adebanjo, who said that ‘no tuition fee is charged’ and that the new fee is ‘to ensure the smooth running of the university, procure certain consumables and pay for municipal services such as electricity, water, hostel maintenance and cleaning and sundry other services that are necessary…’
“We of SPEC wonder when Nigerian education has reached a stage where the students are the ones responsible for the cost of running the day-to-day activities of a public university.
“Hence, we call on the Tinubu/APC-led federal government to improve funding of education up to 26% of the budgetary allocations as recommended by UNESCO. We also demand a public probe into Adeniji’s led university management to uncover how the government’s interventions in the university have been spent since her inception into office. Only improved public funding can avert the FUTA crisis and others that may occur as a result of attempts to generate funds to maintain the university.
“We commend the students of FUTA for taking this bold step and we call on steadfastness and continuity of the struggle. We agree with the FUTASU president, Olayemi Oluwasoromidayo, that a mere dialogue cannot bring about a significant reduction in the fees. As we have seen in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and other institutions, only a radical movement of the students can win tangible concessions for the students.
“This is why we are calling for solidarity support from the staff unions of FUTA – Joint Action Committee (JAC), NANS, and other well-meaning individuals and groups of individuals. We believe that free, quality, and functional education is possible in Nigeria under a planned socialist economy. Let us all imagine that all of the billions of Naira that were announced to be looted were used to improve the educational facilities of the country; Nigeria today would be boastful of productive citizens who are products of a quality educational system.
“As we continue to demand better governance under Tinubu’s government, we should not be carried away by the few illusionary and cosmetic changes being announced on TV. What we need is a socialist government that will place the commanding heights of the Nigeria economy under the democratic control and management of the working people and it is on this cause that we of SPEC are premised. If you agree with us, join us today!”