The commendation was contained in a press statement issued on Friday signed by the ERC coordinator, Tobi Whunor.
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has backed the students of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, over their recent protest against the deadline set by the university management for the payment of tuition fees.
The commendation was contained in a press statement issued on Friday signed by the ERC coordinator, Tobi Whunor.
The statement reads: “ERC calls on Aweda-led SU to convene a Congress to discuss the Concessions and activities to force their implementation.
“The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) University of Ibadan branch once again commends the Students Union leadership and mass of students of the university for holding a peaceful and spirited protest which has won some concessions. This has further shown that the struggle pays and the power inherent in the collective action of students populace and by extension the Union hasn’t lost its value.
“Following the protest on Monday, July 15, the university administration was forced to issue a new circular to deny the earlier one issued over the plan to begin to ration electricity supply within the campus. There was also a commitment that no student would be victimised based on the involvement in the peaceful protest. This also includes the three students activists who are currently under the university disciplinary actions for a mere display of placard to express their displeasure over the fee hike during the inauguration of the current leadership of the Students Union.
“The August 4th deadline initially set for the payment of school fees was also canceled and further payments is to be put on hold with a commitment to request from the university council a possible review of the fee earlier charged. Other concessions won include the prohibition of the sale of handout and cancelation of the use of GES text book as a precondition for the registration and release of the result. There was also a commitment to resolve as quick as possible the current electricity crisis in the Alaxandra hall.
“The ERC welcomes these concessions. They individually and collectively represent gains acquired through the collective strength and solidarity of mass of the university of Ibadan students. However, we strongly hold that the university administration, having waited for students protest before making all these commitment cannot be trusted for automatic implementation of all of these commitment without continuous pressure from mass of students. In other words, these important concessions are not yet a victory until when they are implemented.
“It is in the light of these we urge the mass of students to remain steadfast and not to let loose their guard down. As far as we are concerned in ERC, the Aweda-led SU should as a matter of urgency convene a Congress of to properly and elaborately discuss the protest including its gains and concessions with a view to come up with a program of action needed to mount the necessary pressure on the university administration for immediate implementation of the concessions.
“We also urge the Aweda-led SU to consider a plan for a public symposium that will have among the speakers leaders of workers unions ( ASUU, SSANU, NAAT and NASU) for a comprehensive discussion on the general state of the public university education and the way foreword. This kind of program and many more are necessary at this stage in order to ensure that the momentum of the last successful protests does not get dissipated but rather built upon to make it difficult for the university administration to renege on its commitments.”