The management of Ekiti State University (EKSU) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State has shut the institution.
This comes after students protested against late registration fees and other fees initiated forced on them by the university.
The school management had mandated the students to pay a late
registration fee of N5,000 as they make payments upon resumption of
activities at the varsity.
The said fee, however, did not settle well with the students, who
declared it unbearable in the face of a hike in their school fees, among
others.
The students lamented that the fee was a form of extortion by the school management.
It was gathered that students trooped out in masse to block the
institution’s main gate, preventing both their colleagues and lecturers
from gaining entrance into the university.
The students who carried various inscriptions such as “review of late registration fee, among others”, were demanding a review of the late registration fee imposed on them by the school authority.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Edward Olanipekun,
had on behalf of the university Senate earlier, approved the suspension
of academic activities on the campus for two weeks with effect from
Monday, April 10, 2023, Naija News learnt.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Head, Directorate of Information
and Corporate Affairs, Bode Olofinmuagun, said all students of the
university should vacate the campus premises immediately and should not
be seen within the campus premises for the next two weeks.
“Parents and guardians are hereby advised to invite their wards home immediately.
“Any student found wandering around the university premises does so at his or her own risk,” he concluded.
According to Daily Post, the Students Union Government Public
Relations Officer, Dotun Ogunsanya, disclosed during the protest that it
is worrisome that students do not enjoy any facility in the
institution, as there have been power outages both within and outside
the university premises for more than five years.
Ogunsanya described the hike in fees as extortion by the school management.
In his reaction, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof.
Ayodele Babatope, said the hike was penalty for not complying with the
institution’s directive to register early for academic activities.
Prof. Babatope added that other issues raised by the students were inconsequential and manipulated.
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