Fear of Internal Strike On OAU Over 300% Increment in Freshers Charges

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has increased the charges for fresh students by Three Hundred and Twenty Two per cent

The increment in the charges has, however, caused tensed environment in the institution, as students express fear of internal strike.
The management recently released a document showed that charges of freshers admitted into Humanities/Social Sciences have been increased by 322%. Clinical Sciences and Pharmacy has also been increased by 267 percent, while those admitted into Sciences have 253% increases.

Analysis of the document obtained on Thursday, showed that newly admitted students of the university will be paying between N72, 400 and N84, 000 as against N17, 150 and N22, 150 previously paid in the university.

The document does not specify the acceptance fee amount to be paid by the newly admitted students but the institution currently charge N20, 000.

In the new charge regime, matriculation fees is increased from N1000 to N4000; registration/online verification from N4,000 to N5,000; Examination fees from N1,000 to N5,000; Departmental Registration/charges from N10,000 to N15,000; Students Union Levy/welfare from N100 to N300.

Others are Library services/visual library access from N500 to N1, 000; Medical Screening from Exam from N2, 500 to N5,000; Sport levy from N1,000 to N2,000; Identity Card from N300 to N500 and Brochure/Handbook from N150 to N2,000.

Newly introduced charges are municipal charges/ utility for N25, 000; caution fee (refundable), N5,000; Information and Communication Technology Development , N5,000; Development levy/End fund, N25,000 and ICT training for N5,000.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr. Biodun Olarewaju confirmed the plan of the school to increase the charges of newly admitted students.

He explained that OAU was the decision to increase the fee was a “unanimous decision” of the university senate, adding that it was aimed at giving the students best academic standard.
It will be recalled that if the fee is increased, OAU new students will be paying more than University of Ibadan, which currently charge N28,150 to its fresh students, University of Lagos, N35,500; Federal University, Akure, N48,900; University of Benin, N45,000; and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; N27,305 among others.

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Larry Frank