The Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti has been shut over a protest by students who are demanding a review of late registration fees and other levies by the institution.
The students who carried various placards with different inscriptions such as “review of late registration fee, among others”, had, on Tuesday morning, come out in their numbers to protest the fees, which they said were unbearable and amounted to extortion.
The students condemned the N5,000 late registration fee imposed on them, declaring it as unbearable in the face of hike in their school fees among others, which, prevents both students and lecturers from gaining entrance into the university.
The Students’ Union Government Public Relations Officer, Dotun Ogunsanya, who described the fees as an extortion, said, “This is more worrisome especially that we do not enjoy any facility in the school. There has not been power supply within and outside the university premises for many years now.”
EKSU Vice Chancellor, Prof Edward Olanipekun, however, on behalf of the university Senate, approved the suspension of academic activities on the campus for two weeks with effect from Monday.
The Head, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Bode Olofinmuagun, in a statement, directed all students of the university to vacate the campus immediately and should not be seen within the premises for the next two weeks.”
Speaking on the protest, the Students Union Government Public Relations Officer, Dotun Ogunsanya, said it is worrisome that they do not enjoy any facility in the institution, as there have been power outages both within and outside the university premises for more than five years. He described the hike in fees as extortion by the school management.
In his reaction, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Ayodele Babatope, said the refusal of the students were penalised for not complying with the directive of the institution to register early for academic activities.
Prof. Babatope added that other issues raised by the students were inconsequential and manipulated.