The management of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has stated that the 100% increment in tuition fees was a result of the economic realities on the ground.
Carrying placards that read ‘No to Increment’ and ‘Enough is Enough’, the students had protested on Monday over the hike in tuition vowing to disrupt academic activities until the hike is reversed.
The president of the Students Union Government, Olayemi Oluwasoromidayo, appealed to the management to maintain the previous school fees, citing the economic downturn in the country.
Stated clearly that the school SUG had met the management led by Vice Chancellor Adenike Oladiji vowed to mobilize more students to pressure the management to listen to their plea.
Justifying the increment, the spokesperson for the university, Adegbenro Adebanjo, said the cost of services provided to the students by the management had increased due to the harsh economy hence, the decision of the management.
The proposed new fees and charges, they are mainly for student-related services, which are sourced from the economy. And the costs of such goods and services provided by the university for the students will certainly be impacted by costs of goods and services in the economy.
“To ensure the smooth running of the university, certain consumables and payments for municipal services such as electricity, water, hostel maintenance and cleaning and sundry other services are necessary, and the costs of providing the services have shot up, and the new charges are in response to this.
“Other costs that were adjusted as a result of economic reality include medical examination for all new students, Biometric ID cards and Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme TISHIP administered by NHIS for students, and final yearbook,” he said.
Meanwhile, the management had ordered the indefinite postponement of the resumption for the 2023/2024 academic session and directed that all students currently on campus and in hostels vacate the university within 24 hours.
“The management also directed that registration of returning students via the university 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, be put on hold.
“It is important to state that the university DID NOT open the portal for registration for returning students for the new session contrary to what was being bandied in the public domain,” Mr Adegbenro said.
