The drastic increase of school fees from N37,150 and N42,150 to N 82,400, N92,700 and N95,700, depending on faculties, had forced the students out into the streets. On Wednesday, June 18, the OAU was shut down indefinitely on the orders of the management who cited "violent students' protests" as the reason behind the decision. The students were given 48 hours to vacate the school premises.
A group of concerned students – Ibikunle Isaac, the Student Union President, Secretary General Shittu I.Olatayo, PRO Bamidele Oludare have signed and issued a press statement, telling the story from the students' point of view.
The students strongly condemn the closure of the university and demand its immediate reopening.
They say the story is a mere "propaganda" based on "blatant lies and distortion of obvious truth." The university authorities, according to students, are bent on breaking the students' resistance against fee hike, thus effectively threatening "the democratic advancement of the Nigerian society".
The authors of the statement agree that education sector needs proper funding to ensure quality, but reject "the wretched university philosophy that poor parents and students should fund university education."
Nigeria in general and the university in question are wealthy enough to afford adequate funding but refuse to do so due to misappropriation of money.
"In 2011, this same management increased acceptance fee from N2, 000 to N20, 000,"the statement reads."And 3 years after, with over N300 million generated from this fraudulent source, the university is yet to record substantial development in areas of academic and welfare infrastructures. Yet, amid this, the university went ahead to squander university fund, N500 million specifically, on a swimming pool project as the water supply system of the university remains a typhoid and skin-diseases haven for students."
Seeing all this, the Student's Union decided to embark on a series of peaceful protests to press their demands, supported by staff union on capus. However, on June 18, students' "playing, singing and dancing at various points in the university campus" were declared illegal and violent by the management.
Claims that the university senate was burnt are also completely untrue, according to the statement, as it was the Vice President of the institution's senate preparing snacks for stundetns using a gas-powered stove at motion ground.
The students have decried violation of their freedoms by the police forces and the SSS officers. Also, the statement reveals, power house, water department, health centre, butteries and markets were shut down "to frustrate students who reside on the university campus."
University finalists have to oblige and pay "for fear of not having elective courses to register or not getting accommodation" while the report obtained by the union suggests that families of 97% of underprivileged students have paid the money when only 22% privileged few and those that can borrow have paid in reality.
Thus, a congress of Great IFE students have made the following demands:
*."a total reversal of these fees as rate of stealing has sky-rocketed on campus,
*.Great IFE students peacefully continue to occupy the university campus,
*.there should be an upward funding of education by the federal government,
*.all charges against indicted student activists be withdrawn,
*.a non-victimization policy be entrenched by the management,
*.the struggle continues with externalized, national actions despite the closure."
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