The Education Rights Campaign,ERC, has condemned in the strongest terms, the planned increment in school fee by the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Students’ Union of the university, had raised the alarm that the management announced a plan to increase its school fees and sundry charges by 50 percent and accommodation fees by 100 percent.
The group backed and commended the students union leadership of the university for rejecting the fee hike and urged them to mobilise students for mass actions.
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Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Deputy National Coordinator, Isaac Ogunjinmi, the ERC said that the increment shows the institution’s insensitivity to the harsh economic reality in the country.
“We in the ERC reject this increment given the present monumental economic hardship to which a vast majority of Nigerians have been subjected to by the Tinubu government through its anti-poor neo-liberal policies.
“Many students have not even gotten over the pain from the outrageous fee hike that was imposed last year by the university.
“Besides, there is nothing to show fundamentally for the last increment in terms of improvement in learning conditions and general welfare,” part of the statement read.
The ERC commended the resolve of the students’ union leadership, as contained in their statement to, “vehemently oppose this drastic and rash increment in fees” and to “continue to advocate for a total reversal of this decision.”
The group however noted that to defeat the planned fee increment, the students’ union leadership had to be prepared to mobilise and organise students for a series of mass activities.
Ogunjinmi said, “These include regular Congresses to democratically take decisions, mass symposia and peaceful mass protests and lecture boycotts.
“The union should also embark on a media campaign in order to mobilise public support for the struggle and also seek solidarity of staff unions in the university.
“We of the ERC have committed ourselves to joining the union and students in this struggle.”
He also urged the leadership of the union and students of the university, and students across the country to be part of the growing movement against anti-poor policies of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Ogunjinmi said that President Tinubu government’s anti-poor policies had had a devastating effect on the living standards and have truly also increased the cost of running universities.
He said that students must however resist any attempt to make them pay for the failure of the government to adequately fund public education.
According to him, “As far as we are concerned, it is the responsibility of the nation through its collective wealth to make public education accessible to everyone irrespective of their economic status.
“However, the problem is not just of poor funding, there is also corruption and avoidable waste in the management of universities.
“This is why we of the ERC also regularly call for democratic management of schools to involve elected representatives of staff unions and students as a measure that could, among other things, ensure judicious use of their allocation and finances.
“By and large, we believe that Nigeria has the resources to provide free education at all levels along with other basic needs such as functional health care, potable water, sanitation, etc.”
Ogunjinmi noted that the problem was capitalism and corruption that made it possible for a few to amass and loot collective wealth of the country at the expense of the majority.
“This is why we of the ERC in addition to campaigning for adequate funding of public education also support the building of a mass movement to overthrow capitalism and enthrone a socialist Nigeria,” he added.