FUTA students protest 300% hike in fees, barricade highway
Management gives students 24 hours to vacate campus
STUDENTS of the Federal University of Technology, Akure ( FUTA), yesterday, staged a protest at the South and North gates of the institution against hike in fees by the school management.
The students, in their numbers, shut the gates as early as 6: 30 a. m., and barricaded the busy AkureIlesa highway, resulting in heavy traffic. They demanded immediate reversal of the hike.
Displaying placards with various inscriptions and chanting solidarity songs, the students lamented that the management increased the fees by 300 per cent.
President of the FUTA Student Union ( FUTASU), Olayemi Oluwasoromidayo, said it was unwise for the institution to have made the move, in view of current economic challenges in the country.
Oluwasoromidayo said the student body met with the management several times but it refused to yield to demands, hence the decision to stage a protest.
He maintained that the last increment by the institution was barely one year ago.
Oluwasoromidayo pointed out that the management increased the fees to over N200,000 for fresh students, while old students who had been paying N35,000 would now part with N130,000.
He said the students will continue to protest until the management meets their demand.
Meanwhile, the institution has ordered indefinite postponement of students’ resumption for the 2023- 2024 academic session.
The institution also directed all students on campus and in hostels to vacate within 24 hours, stressing that tuition is free but certain consumables and payments for municipal services have been increased.
In a statement by Director of Corporate Communication, Adegbenro Adebanjo, the management said: “Registration of returning students via the university’s portal and payment of fees by all returning students for the new academic session via the portal scheduled to begin on Monday, January 15, 2024, have been put on hold.