Students of the University of Ibadan (UI) have rejected the management’s newly proposed three-week deadline for payment of hiked school fees.
FIJ learnt that the school had announced this proposal on Friday during a meeting held with students’ representatives following the fresh protest against the hike in fees.
UI students kicked off the protest on Thursday night after the governing council directed students to pay their school fees by September 4.
FIJ had earlier detailed how the protest started after the governing council gave students six days to pay up their fees. Amid the protest, which continued to Friday, the management fixed a meeting with leaders of the students’ union by 3.00 pm.
It was during the three-hour meeting held at Adeiye Lambo Senate Chamber of the institution that the school proposed the new three-week deadline.
However, FIJ gathered that students rejected the meeting between the management and the union leaders.
A source told FIJ that the students had turned down Aweda Bolaji, the union president’s attempts to address them after the meeting, as they demanded a direct address from the school management.
Matthias Busoye, the Speaker of the Student Representative Council (SRC), who eventually addressed them, warned that the university may be forced to shut down if the protests persist.
The students protesting the fee hike welcome the shutdown as long as their demands for a total reversal of the increase are not met.
As of the time of filing this report, FIJ is aware that the protest is still ongoing, with the protesters chanting and singing protest songs like, “Aluta meta lawa yo se” and “Consultation, Consolidation“, among others.
