By Adedoja Samuel Adesoji
The resumption of students for the 2023/2024 academic year at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), has been indefinitely postponed by the university management.
This decision comes in response to protests from students, organized by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ondo Axis, against the proposed increase in fees by the institution.
In an official statement by Mr Adegbenro Adebanjo, the director of Corporate Communications, FUTA, the management directed all students currently on campus and in university hostels to vacate within 24 hours.
Additionally, registration of returning students and fee payments for the new academic session, originally scheduled to begin on Monday, January 15, 2024, has been put on hold.
The university clarified that the portal for registration for returning students had not been opened for the new session, contrary to public speculation.
Regarding the proposed fee hike, the management explained that the adjustments mainly pertain to student-related services, and the costs are influenced by the economic conditions affecting goods and services sourced by the university.
The statement outlined specific areas of adjustment, including medical examinations for new students, biometric ID cards, and the Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP).
The university management stressed that tuition remained free for all students and emphasized the existence of mechanisms within the system to address student concerns, including charges and fees, adding that consensus-building mechanisms were underway to address the matter.
Meanwhile, NANS, Ondo Axis, expressed strong disapproval of the proposed fee hike by FUTA, deeming it unacceptable.
Comrade Salami Rosheed, the acting chairman, emphasized that the student body would not tolerate such an increase, citing the financial difficulties students already faced and the need to encourage education among the youths.
