The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) has condemned the management of the institution for increasing tuition fee.
The increment by nearly 100 percent with effect from the 2018/19 academic session was announced by the school, which is jointly owned by the Oyo and Osun state governments, on Monday.
This newspaper reported that the decision was taken at the 133rd meeting of the governing council of the university on July 5 to hike the fee.
Until the adjustment,100-level students who are indigenes of Oyo or Osun paid N120,000 while those who are not from either state paid N150,000 as part of the resolution of the management of the institution after a strike by its workers that lasted several months.
However, this time around, indigenes are now to pay N200,000 while non-indigenes are to pay N250,000 for the new session which will commence on October 29.
The new fees are against the initial N63,500 for indigenes and N72,500 for non-indigenes who are returning students.
Barely 24 hours after the announcement on Monday, a protest by the students ensued leading to a shutdown of the school’s main campus in Ogbomosho as well as it’s medical school in Osogbo.
The spokesperson of the university, Lekan Fadeyi, has not been responding to calls and text messages sent to his line on the development.
PREMIUM TIMES also reported that students locked the institution’s campus gates in Osogbo and Ogbomoso to protest against the increment with the hashtag, #OccupyLautech.
However, the Secretary of LAUTECH ASUU, Toyin Abegunrin, in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday condemned the increment and vowed that the teachers would continue to support the agitation of students.
“We are not in support of the increment and ASUU believed that education should not be privatised,” Mr Abegunrin said.
“It is the duty of the management to pay necessary fee and not to put their responsibilities on parents who are struggling to survive.
“ASUU is in support of the students’ agitation because we did same during our time. If not, some of us will not graduate. It is important for them to express their displeasure and we condemn the authorities for their acts,” he said.
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