The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun
State, has said that it was not planning to increase its tuition fee to
N55,700.
The chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities,
University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, was recently quoted as claiming
that no fewer than 38 universities across Nigeria
had jerked up their fees.
He name OAU as one of the schools affected by the increment.
However, it was gathered that OAU students currently pay
between N19,700 and N33,700, depending on their course of study.
In a press statement on Tueday, the OAU Public Relations
Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, explained that the tuition fee remained as
increased three years ago.
Olarewaju said, “The attention of the authorities of the
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has been drawn to a news item that ’38
Varsities increase tuition fees’, where OAU was listed among the universities
that have increased their tuition fees.
“Although there may be paucity of funds from the Federal
Government in running the institutions of higher learning, which might have
prompted some universities to upwardly review their fees, but the situation in
OAU is quite different.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no meeting, either of
the university management or Senate, where the fee increment was announced; and
the vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Tope Ogunbodede, has not
contemplated on increasing any fee in OAU.
“In actual fact, his administration is poised to making the
welfare of staff and students a topmost priority.”
“Accordingly, the VC has advised the students, their parents
and/or guardians to completely disregard as unfounded rumour the said news
item.
“The administrative and academic affairs of OAU will not be
run in secret. The VC will not renege on his pledge of running a very open and
transparent administration,” he added.
By Ameh Comrade Godwin
