The University Community will recall that Senate, at
its meeting of May 6, 2014, approved for the
consideration of Council, the new regime of charges
for Fresh Students as stated below:
Humanities
Sciences
Clinical/Pharmacy
Senate Approved
47,400.00
63,400.00
66,400.00
and a Development Levy of Twenty five thousand
naira (N25,000.00), which is paid once and for all by
Fresh Students throughout the duration of their
studentship in the University.
On May 12, 2014, the University Management led by
the Vice-Chancellor, honoured the request of the
leadership-elect of the Student Union, viz: the
Central Executive Council, Leadership of the
Students’ Representative Council, Chairpersons of
Halls of Residence as well as members of the
Association of Campus Journalists for a meeting
over the new regime of charges. At this meeting, the
students first expressed that there should be no
increment at all in charges but after many hours of
discussion, agreed that there could be some
increase.
Members of the University Community should note
that for over ten (10) years (2004–2014), the
students of Obafemi Awolowo University paid the
charges as listed in the table below:
Faculty/Programmes
Charges Per Session
Accommodation Per Session
Administration, Arts, Education, Social Sciences
&Law
N5,300.00(five thousand three hundred naira only)
N2,590.00 (two thousand five hundred and ninety
naira only) (N90.00 – Accommodation Charges and
N2,500.00 for Hall Maintenance)
Science
N7,800.00(seven thousand eight hundred naira
only)
N2,590 (two thousand five hundred and ninety naira
only)
Agriculture, Environmental Design & Management &
Technology
N10,300.00(Ten thousand three hundred naira only)
N2,590 (two thousand five hundred and ninety naira
only)
Medicine, Dentistry, Medical Rehabilitation and
Nursing
N12,800.00(Twelve thousand eight hundred naira
only)
N2,590.00 (two thousand five hundred and ninety
naira only)
These charges, paid by students for over ten (10)
years, were justifiably considered by Senate, at its
meeting of May 6, 2014, as not only anachronistic,
but totally out of sync with the economic realities of
present-day Nigeria, especially for a 21st Century
university that constantly endeavours to produce
top-rated students that are trained to be employable
in the intellectual market of the 21st Century.
Furthermore, the new charges have become
necessary in view of the high cost of running the
University and to ensure that our students are
provided qualitative and competitive education in an
enabling academic environment, the need to have
some resources to purchase chemicals,
consumables, modern laboratory equipment, current
books, periodicals and journals, the continuous
provision of electricity, potable and clean water,
faster Internet facilities of which Obafemi Awolowo
University is the only university in Nigeria with
cloud computing, i-Lab and telepresence facilities.
On May 14, 2014, the Senate’s recommendation
was presented to the Chairman of Council, who after
a study of the recommended charges, agreed to
some deductions on the Development Levy and
Laboratory charges on behalf of Council. This was
in line with Regulation No 15j of Obafemi Awolowo
University, which puts in the purview of Council, the
responsibility to determine all fees in consultation
with the Senate.
The figures arrived at after consultation with Council
for Fresh Students are in the Table below, which
includes a reduced Development Levy of Eighteen
thousand naira (N18,000.00) only, that is paid once
and for all by Fresh Students throughout the
duration of their studentship in the University:
Humanities
Sciences
Clinical/Pharmacy
Council
67,400.00
76,400.00
79,400.00
On May 16, 2014, the University Administration, led
again by the Vice-Chancellor, met a second time
with the Students’ Representatives, where it
presented the Council’s reduction, but the students
refused, stating that “the Fresh Students should pay
only N20, 000.00.” flat for all courses.
On Monday, May 19, 2014, a third meeting, presided
over by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic),
with the Students’ Representatives did not yield any
positive response as they merely conceded that the
highest charge for any fresh student in the
University, according to them, should be N20,
000.00 regardless of the course.
The University Administration, after further
consideration, resolved to upload the reduced
charges as follows:
Faculty/Programmes
Charges
Per Session
LAW/ARTS/SOCIAL SCIENCES/ADMIN/EDU. ARTS
N43,700
Per Session
SCIENCE/EDM/EDUC. SCIENCE/TECH/AGRIC
N54,700
Per Session
MEDICINE/PHARMACY/HEALTH SCIENCES
N57,700
Per Session
and a Development Levy of Eighteen thousand naira
(N18,000.00), which is paid once and for all by fresh
students throughout the duration of their studentship
in the University.
It is important for the University Community to note
that the reduction in the charges for Fresh Students
has been granted on three occasions before the
final upload.
On Tuesday and Thursday, 20th and 22nd, May,
2014, the students went on rampage, blocking the
Ife/Ibadan/Akure Express Way, disturbing the peace
of the public and causing general mayhem that even
endangered their lives. After leaving the Express
Way, they demonstrated round Ife city and ended in
the Palace of the Ooni of Ife.
On Monday, May 26, 2014, the students, led by the
President-elect, Isaac Ibikunle, a Part V Law
student, went on Channels Television to give false
information, distorted and odorized figures on the
new regime of charges as well as putting the
University in total disrepute, odium and opprobrium.
Following the increase in charges for Fresh
Students , the University Senate, at its meeting of
28th May, 2014, also approved a new regime of
charges for Returning Undergraduates as stated
below:
Faculty/Programmes
Charges
Per Session
LAW/ARTS/SOCIAL SCIENCES/ADMIN/EDU. ARTS
N19,700
Per Session
SCIENCE/EDM/EDUC. SCIENCE/TECH/AGRIC
N30,700
Per Session
MEDICINE/PHARMACY/HEALTH SCIENCES
N33,700
Per Session
On Thursday and Friday, 5th and 6th June, 2014,
the University Administration, through the Division
of Student Affairs, organized a two-day Leadership
Retreat for the newly-elected Student Union
Executive where there was further interaction with
University officials viz: the Deputy Vice-Chancellor
(Academic), the Registrar and the Acting Dean of
Student Affairs.
The University Community may wish to know that
over 97% of Fresh Students have paid the new
charges, resumed on 1st June, 2014, had a
peaceful and very successful Orientation
programme from 2nd to 8thJune, 2014. The
University Community should also note that the new
Student Union officials were inaugurated on Monday,
June 9, 2014 and Returning Undergraduates
resumed on Sunday, June 15, 2014.
On the resumption of some of the Returning
Undergraduates, an illegal Congress was held in the
evening of that day, which subsequently, led to the
disruption of normal activities on campus the
following day, Monday, June 16, 2014 when
workers were chased out of their offices with a
threat to burn down the University Secretariat.
Indeed, the University Secretariat was padlocked
and attempts were made to forcefully enter into the
Vice-Chancellor’s Office. Added to this, was the fact
that the students again threatened to burn down the
Computer Centre with a view to shut down the E-
portal and prevent further payment by students.
They, indeed, marched to the Computer Centre,
INTECU and the Centre of Excellence for Software
Engineering, padlocked the entrances and laid siege
on the entire premises.
Apart from these meetings with the University
Management, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of
Council also granted audience to the Student Union
President and his Executive and explained the
rationale behind the increase in charges.
Before the new regime of charges was introduced a
comparative analysis of charges paid in many
Federal universities was made and Obafemi
Awolowo University’s charges even with the new
increase are still the lowest in any Federal
university in Nigeria. This fact can be
crosschecked.
The University Community may also want to note
that, presently, thousands of Returning
Undergraduates have paid and are still paying this
new regime of charges.
To the chagrin and shock of the University
Administration, on Tuesday, 17th June, 2014, the
students again held another Congress despite the
invitation from the University Management for a
meeting. At the Congress, the students resolved not
to henceforth honour any invitation from the
University Management. They further resolved to
continue their agitation and make their
demonstrations more violent until the new regime of
charges is totally reversed and the University’s
Vice-Chancellor is forcefully brought down from his
office to address the Students’ Congress.
The University Community should note that the
University Management, in a way to resolve the
issue, encouraged different stakeholders to further
interact with the student leadership to no avail.
On Wednesday, 18th June, 2014, the students, led
by the Student Union President, Isaac Ibikunle, and
the Vice-President, Funmilola Oladejo (aka Olori) a
Part IV Linguistics student, stormed the Secretariat
with gas cylinders, cut off the iron bars leading to
Floor ‘O’ with the hope of burning part of the
Secretariat buildings and indeed, welded the gates
of the Secretariat buildings thereby preventing
workers from gaining entrance into the buildings.
They also blocked the Main Gate to the University
and blocked the access to the Staff Quarters on
Road 7 for three consecutive days when they
prevented movement of Staff School pupils,
students of the Obafemi Awolowo University
International School and workers of the University
and the public at large.
Finally, in order to prevent a total and irreversible
breakdown of law and order, molestation of workers
and for the protection of life and property, the
Senate of the University, at its sitting on 18th June,
2014, after deliberation, decided unanimously to
close down the University indefinitely.
Thank you.
D. O. Awoyemi
Registrar and Secretary to Council
