Despite mgt’s threat, KWASU students protest fee hike
Scores of students of the Kwara State University, Malete, staged a peaceful protest at the entrance of the school, on Monday morning, against the hike in the hostel exemption fees previously introduced by the management of the institution, among other issues.
The protesting students, who brandished placards with various inscriptions rejecting the hike are mainly final year students of the institution. They described the increment as ‘unwarranted and unacceptable’, saying it is a manifestation of the insensitivity of the school management and the state government.
It was also gathered that Student Union representatives who visited the scene were nearly attacked for calling for the boycott of the demonstration in a video posted online on Sunday evening and obtained by THE INFORMANT247.
However, the delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) led by the National President, Sunday Asefon later stormed the school campus in solidarity with the protesting students, tagging the action, “mother of peaceful protest”.
‘N20, 000 for not staying in school hostels’
Previously, fresher and final year students of the institution who are not willing to stay in the school hostels are mandated to pay the sum of N5,000. However, the exemption fee was increased astronomically to N20,000 which didn’t go down well with the majority of the students, THE INFORMANT247 learnt.
“This is to inform the entire University community that it has been the University’s policy over the years that, new students and final year students should stay in the University’s hostels. However, attention of the Management was drawn to the fact that about eight weeks after resumption for this Academic Session a large percentage of the current final year students refused to pay for the University’s hostels in flagrant disobedience to the University’s regulation,” a Sunday evening statement signed by Mohammed A. Shuaib, the acting Registrar of the school showing that the students are reluctant to pay the new fee.
Reacting to this, one of the protesting students who begged not to be named for fear of victimization said both the increment and the policy as fraudulent.
“They are asking us to pay N20,000 for choosing not to stay in school hostels, That is too bad. Yes, we deliberately shun paying the fee and we won’t pay! Let the management do their worst. This is too bad,” the student said.
‘No light, no water, bad toilets, yet N55,000 per bed space’
While students who choose not to stay in school hostels pay N20,000, others are to pay the sum of about N55,000 per bed space. This came despite the bad condition of the school hostels, as gathered by THE INFORMANT247.
“The toilets and the bathrooms are bad already and we have complained several times without getting any positive results. Some of the toilets are not functioning, yet we must pay for staying and not staying. That is draconian!” a 400 level student lamented, adding that the state government’s silence on the huge extortion in the institution depicts that they are in support of many of the management’s unreasonable policies.
To Adegoke, as he wished to be addressed for fear of being sanctioned by the school authorities, the standard of living at the hostel does not commensurate with the accommodation fees. “No electricity, no light, and we must pay over N50,000 , where is it done?” he questioned.
School mgt had threatened to punish students over ‘peaceful protest’
Meanwhile, the school authority issued a warning on Sunday evening that anyone who participated in the protest against the hike in hostel exemption fee would face disciplinary committee.
“It has also come to the notice of the Management that some group of students, led by Lawal Abdulazeez Okikiola, the students union president are planning to carry out an illegal demonstration,” Mohammed A. Shuaib, the acting Registrar of the school said in a statement posted on the School Facebook page Tuesday. “It must be stressed that, any student found disrupting the peace and tranquility on campus will be arraigned before the Students Disciplinary Committee and appropriate sanctions will be imposed on such student according to the University’s law.”
He said the school would not tolerate any protests or demonstrations.
“We hereby remind the affected students of their Matriculation oath that they will be obedient to the rules and regulations of the University and not distrupt peace and tranquility on campus,” Shuaib’s statement concluded.
The statement was posted on the same day that the School Students Union President, Lawal Abdulazeez Okikiola released a short video clip online, obtained by this medium, asking the students not to shelve the planned protest.
‘No going back’: Students dare management, hold protest
Despite the management threats, the student trooped out in large numbers to carry out the planned protest.
The students would later be joined in the protest by the NANS national president accompanied by the JCC chairman in Kwara state.
“They threaten to deal decisively with us for holding peaceful protest… now we have done it, they should go ahead with their threats,” another 400 level student who pleaded anonymity said.
“We have witnessed how a Vice Chancellor that threatened to expel students who hold protest aided students in protesting to the senate building when he was suspended. He even supported them financially. Press conference before the media was held inside one of the senate building meeting rooms. But when it comes to students’ rights, we dare not! ” he said, distressed as he picked up his placard.
Students to cough up N285m hostel fee in 2021
THE INFORMANT247 findings revealed that students are expected to pay the sum of N285,785,999 as hostel fee this session, about N10,195,001 less than the 2019 generation, which was pegged at N295,981,000.
However, while N38,095,000 is expected from the school-owned hostels, others will generate the sum of N247, 095,000.
The school will get proceeds of 7percent of N167.8million being earning on PPP hostels of N247,690,000 gross after deducting the running costs, it was gathered.
Kwara govt earmarked N0.5bn as subvention for KWASU in 2021 budget
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government budgeted the sum of N502,093,314 as intervention fund for the University.
An informed source, who declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak on the development, however, said the school is yet to receive any subvention from the government.
“The university funds itself. Since former Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed cut the provision of subvention, we haven’t received anything from the government. Though we are still optimistic,” the source said.
It was further learnt that the school borrowed the sum of N1.2billion in 2019 and N135million in 2020 (2020 low due to the COVID pandemic that warranted the closure of all schools).
Previous protests
Admitted candidates of the school had on March 22 staged a protest against the school’s decision to close its portal, denying some of them further registration after they paid the acceptance fee. They accused the school of going beyond the limit given to them by the National University Commission (NUC).
Also, in September 2020, students of the institution took to social media to express their grievances against the school management. They advanced that an increment in the tuition fee, especially in the wake of the economic shock of the pandemic, would render many helpless. However, the school management denied banging new fees on the students.
We’re in dire need of basic infrastructures, KWASU had told Kwara govt
THE INFORMANT247 in February reported that the management of the Kwara State University had sought the intervention of the State Government to bridge the infrastructural gaps in the institution.
Fapojuwo pointed out that KWASU “being the fulcrum of knowledge-driven society” is in a dire need of some basic infrastructures to commensurate with its continuing expansion.
He highlighted some of the needs to include: construction of more roads on the campus; provision of a one-off grant of N2 Billion to ease the financial burden of the university and reinforcement of the Security Patrol Network to checkmate the activities of criminal syndicates on the Shao-malete road as well as ensuring the security of the institution’s satellite campuses at Osi and Ilesha Baruba.
