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Ondo varsity indefinitely postpones resumption as students protest fee hike
The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State has indefinitely postponed resumption for 2023/2024 academic session due to student protests against a purported fee hike.
The university’s Director of Corporate Communication, Mr Adegbenro Adebanjo, issued a statement on Monday outlining the management’s decisions.
FUTA’s management also instructed all students currently on campus and residing in university hostels to vacate within 24 hours.
Registration and fee payment for returning students, initially set to commence on Monday, have been put on hold.
Adebanjo refuted claims of a tuition fee increase, asserting that tuition remains free for all students. He clarified that any adjustments in fees were related to students’ services and consumables impacted by the economic realities of rising costs for goods and services.
The statement addressed specific services such as medical examination for new students, biometric identity cards, and the Tertiary Institutions’ Students Health Insurance Programme.
The management emphasized its commitment to maintaining open dialogue and consensus-building mechanisms to address student concerns.
Prior to this development, FUTA students had staged a peaceful protest, alleging an increase in school fees amid the economic challenges in the country.
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The President of FUTA Student Union Government, Mr Oluwasoromidayo Olayemi, urged the university’s management to revert to the previous fee structure. Olayemi claimed that the last fee increment occurred less than a year before the new hike, with new students facing fees exceeding N200,000 and returning students witnessing a significant increase as well.
He said the peaceful protest will persist until a resolution is reached and the fees are reverted.
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