The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the management of the University of Lagos to reverse the recent increase in school fees and refund the money of those who have already paid.
NANS disclosed this in a statement after a press conference held at the International Press Centre, Lagos, on Thursday.
The statement was co-signed by the association’s national public relations officer, Giwa Temitope; national vice president external, Akinteye Afeez; national deputy senate president, Ekundina Elvis; chairman, JCC, Lagos, Alimi Idris; and director of special duties (South-West), Adegboye Adeboye.
The notice by the student body was in reaction to the disruption of its protest on Wednesday by the police, who allegedly fired teargas at the protesters on the university’s premises. It alleged some executives were injured and arrested in the process.
The students’ body said UNILAG’s management had promised to reverse the “absurd” fees to the initial price during a meeting on August 2 but failed to fulfil it.
“Unfortunately, the VC, out of her sheer disregard for agreement, decided not to honour the decision made at the meeting,” NANS said. “Rather than do that, she entered into an unholy alliance with the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, to clamp down on student protest, whereby some of our comrades were injured and some, including the national PRO of the association, were arrested and taken to the police headquarters, Lagos State command.”
“Accordingly, the management of the University of Lagos is hereby given 48 hours ultimatum to immediately reverse the fees as agreed upon and refund students who must have paid the astronomical fees,” it warned.
NANS also warned other tertiary institutions and unity schools nationwide against increasing their fees, as students would not hesitate to protest the move.
It recounted that the federal government had directed institutions to halt increments in school fees but said the challenges of underfunding in the education sector must be addressed.
“The introduction of the Students Loan Act and the insignificant budgetary allocation to education is a great indictment and casts great aspersion on the government’s resolve to confront the deteriorating state of our institutions,” it said.
Also, the body issued threats of more protests and called on union presidents to mobilise students. It also warned the police to stop “repression” of students.
“Consequently, all students, union presidents, NANS leadership, and the Nigerian students are hereby put on notice to begin mobilisations. We shall be hitting the Unilag gates again,” the body said.
It added, “The vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunshola, said categorically that we can only protest for three days at the gate and leave. She dared the Nigerian students, called us weak and insignificant. We will meet her at the barricades. The country is bleeding economically, and education cannot be traded for illiteracy. It is our fundamental human right to be educated.”
