Fawaz Adebisi
The National Association of Nigerian Students, Ogun Axis, has demanded the immediate reversal of all newly introduced and Increased fees in Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta.
The association, on Monday staged a protest against the management of the institution where it stressed that if the demands are not met, “we shall not retreat”.
The Chairman of NANS, Comrade Damilola Simeon Kehinde, while addressing the press, stated that the institution has made education unaffordable for students.
He said, ” we are disheartened to converge here today, not for celebration but to decry the suffering and panic the management of the MAPOLY has subjected us to as students.
“Few months ago in the last academic session, tuition fee for both ND and HND students was increased including the part-time students whose figure is not currently given.”
“We resisted this increment and came to a benchmark of reduction in the initially added amount after due consultation. The clear promise made to the student body is that there will no longer be increment.”
“Little did we know that he was only waiting for the state government to confirm his appointment as substantive rector before unveiling his anti-poor policy to make MAPOLY unaffordable for the masses.”
He however gave the breakdown of the tuition fees in the institution.
He highlighted, “acceptance fee(science students) N25,500 increased to N35,500; ND N55,000 and HND N51,000 increased to N62,000 and N58,000 respectively, as for Fresh students (non-science students) ND N51,000 and N46,000 increased to N58,000 and N53,000 respectively.
“Returning students (science) N46,000 for both ND and HND increased to N53,000 and for Returning students (non-science) N41,000 for both ND and HND increased to N48,000.”
He, therefore, warned that the school management should comply with their demands as he said “this is just the tip of the iceberg”.
“In Aluta, we have 3 days, consultation, consolidation, and confrontation, before you see this confrontation that is going on today, we’ve consolidated and consulted, but it shows, and it’s obvious that the management of the school has refused.
“What you are seeing here today is just the beginning of what is to come, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m a fighter, and when it comes to defending the interest of my students, even if it would cost me the last drop of my blood, I would fight for it, because it’s the mandate on which I’m voted for”.
“The management should be mindful of trying to winch haunt any student leader that is part of this movement because they are not doing it on their own, they are doing it for the collective students, and if they do, they would have NANS not only at the state level but at the national level to contend with.”
The area commander of Police, Haruna Adamu, However, appealed to students to maintain law and order, stressing that their presence was to maintain law and order.
He said, “We are to maintain law and order, and as we gathered here, we want you to conduct yourself based on the rule and order of the land.”
“I appeal to you, no vandalization, no victimization, violence is zero, zero tolerance to violence, and the road over there should not be blocked.” He said
Comrade Damilola therefore “advise our student to be orderly and civil in our engagement during this whole struggle, may the God of Aluta see us through.”
