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The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly criticized the recent introduction of neo-liberal policies at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), which have deeply concerned the student community.
In a Press statement sent to Peoplemind and duly signed by the Comr. Ogungbe Taiwo Adedamola, Osun NANS JCC coordinator said, the move is not only disheartening but also seems to favor making education a privilege for the wealthy, while leaving the less fortunate to face insurmountable challenges.
The leadership of NANS Joint Campus Council (JCC) Osun Axis, with a primary focus on student welfare, vehemently condemns this brutal, anti-student, and inhumane fee hike. We call upon everyone to stand in solidarity with us as we join the Great Ife community in fighting against OAU management’s oppressive and unfavorable policies, as well as raising the issue to the Nigerian federal government.
In supporting the students’ union at OAU, NANS JCC Osun Axis aligns itself with the struggle for the emancipation of Nigerian students in Ife. We firmly declare that this exorbitant fee increase, ranging from 19,000 Naira to 90,000 Naira and even 190,000 Naira for fresh students, is unacceptable. Allowing this unwarranted hike to stand, especially at Ife, would set a dangerous precedent for other institutions to adopt similar anti-student measures. It is therefore vital for us to unite and confront the oppressive forces that seek to divide us through unjust fee increments.
We encourage students from other institutions in Osun State to join this collective struggle, as an injury to one student is an injury to us all. The concept of Ubuntu, which means “I am because you are, and you are because I am” in the Swahili language, guides us in this fight. We consider this battle a shared responsibility, as what happens to one affects us all.
In addition, we want to emphasize to the OAU management that this fight extends beyond the boundaries of their campus. It is a battle of every Nigerian student. We urge OAU students to remain steadfast and resolute in their agitation, as allowing this fee hike to persist would willingly subject students to harsh living conditions.
In conclusion, we implore the OAU management to reconsider the unjustifiable fees imposed on students. We also call upon the federal government to prioritize education funding as it should. Let us stand together and strive for a better future in which education is accessible and affordable for all Nigerian students.
We say; es·prit de corps, more than enough we shall achieve. He added.
Peoplesmind.
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