At least four persons were injured yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when students of higher institutions clashed. The students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, invaded Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, demanding further reduction of the fees.
But students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta and some other institutions staged a solidarity march in support of the government’s decision. The rival protesters later clashed, leaving at least four students critically injured. Commercial activities were paralysed as the students, armed with placards and leaves, marched through the Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta, causing gridlock.
The government had on Tuesday announced a 61 per cent reduction in school fees and abolished dichotomy in tuition payment, adding that the new fees regime would take effect from the 2014/2015 academic session. But OOU students, led by the Students’ Union President, Olusegun Ifade, declared that the reduction by government was politically-motivated and unfavourable to majority of the students and parents.
They argued that any reduction of tuition fees above N50,000 was unacceptable to them. Ifade, who spoke on their behalf, said Amosun should have made the reduction to take effect from 2013/2014 academic session, rather than the 2014/2015.
He also called for proper funding of their university and the education sector, adding that the government should desist from victimising their colleagues. Though policemen were on ground to maintain law and order, the protest turned violent when a bus conveying MAPOLY students back to their campus was attacked at Kuto roundabout. In a reprisal attack, the MAPOLY students reinforced and attacked the OOU students leaving four seriously wounded.
The state Police Commissioner, Ikemefuna Okoye, later addressed the protesters at the entrance of the Governor’s Office while those injured were rushed to the hospital. Addressing students who rallied support for the tuition fees reduction earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Segun Odubela, promised to convey their message to the appropriate quarters.
Odubela said the 61 per cent reduction in school fees across board was reached after due considerations and deliberations among the student bodies, school authorities and the State Executive Council. “The 61 per cent reduction in school fees recently announced by the government was reached by your representatives, authorities of tertiary institutions and the Executive Council of the State government,” Odubela said.
NEW TELEGRAPH
No comments:
Post a Comment