OOU TIB, said the state government, not the students, should shoulder the responsibility of funding the university.
The Olabisi Onabanjo University chapter of the Take It Back Movement has rejected the policy of the university management to impose e-learning fees on students for online classes.
Kehinde Babatunde, General Secretary, and Afolabi Alawode, Coordinator of the OOU TIB, said the state government, not the students, should shoulder the responsibility of funding the university.
The group said any attempt to forcefully impose the fee on the students will be rejected by all civil and intellectual means possible.
In a statement, they said, “We received with rude shock and dismay the decision of a section of the leadership of the Students' Union Government to accept this harsh policy of the university authority to impose a pocket-tearing e-learning fee in a meeting held on Friday, August 14, 2020. We condemn this embarrassing and treacherous act of these union officers despite having sworn to defend students' interest.
“We are aware that the leadership of the OOUSUG is yet to take a position since it met with the university on Friday. However, we, in OOU TIB believe positions on an issue like this shouldn't be hurriedly taken. The proposed e-learning fee is an issue that concerns every student, as it is not exclusively for union officers. In OOU TIB, we believe an issue like this should be collectively agreed on. This can be conducted through online polls or any other available medium where students who are major stakeholders of the university can contribute.
“While we commend the initiative of the university authority to introduce online classes due to COVID-19 pandemic which has crippled academic activities across the country and the ongoing renovations cum development in the university premises, we, however, reject any plan to let children of the masses (students) bear the brunt of the negligence of the state government in funding education.
“We posit that the billions of naira gotten from tuition fee, acceptance fee and other miscellaneous fees paid yearly by students, subvention from state government, grants from TetFund and Federal Government coupled with internally generated revenue from business owners within the University should be used to fund the University and not force struggling and unsuspecting students to pay more. The state government, not the students, should shoulder the responsibility of funding the university. Any attempt to forcefully impose the fee on the student will be rejected by all civil and intellectual means possible. We find it alarming that at a moment when the country is in a serious economic crisis due to lock down imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 and millions of Nigerians have lost their jobs while many businesses are struggling to get back on its feet, the university authority has decided to impose e-learning fee on students.
“For us in OOU TIB, we reject any form of e-learning fee or fee increment. We believe Olabisi Onabanjo University is a government-owned school and the Ogun State Government must be committed to proper funding of Olabisi Onabanjo University and other institutions across the state.
“Finally, we call on the generality of OOUITES and the leadership of the Students' Union Government, ASUU, NASU, SSANU, alumni body, and the general public to join us in the campaign to stop the proposed e-learning fee or any other form of fee hike in Olabisi Onabanjo University. OOU TIB will not hesitate to organise students of the university on logical and political grounds for the rejection of the implementation of this anti-masses and cruel policy.”