SERAP gives UNILAG 48-hour ultimatum to reverse fee hike
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to reverse the hike in tuition fees.
SERAP disclosed this in a statement while also threatening to sue the school management if it failed to reverse the hike in tuition fees.
“The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) must immediately reverse the unlawful increase in tuition fees for students, reportedly from N19,000 to over N190,000. We’ll see in court if the fees are not reversed within 48 hours,” the organisation said.
In July, the school authorities announced the hike in tuition fees for new and returning undergraduate students as they cited “prevailing economic realities” as the reason for the increment.
Despite the current hardship, several other universities have hiked school fees, with some students paying over N200,000, including the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA).
Earlier on Wednesday, some students of UNILAG staged another protest and expressed their desire to continue to press the school authorities to reduce the fees.
They also called on the Federal Government to invest the proceeds from the subsidy removal on education rather than allow any increment in school fees.
The students staged a peaceful protest on the streets and were accompanied by security operatives who barricaded the school gate as heavy security checks were conducted to prevent intruders from entering the school premises.
Earlier, the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Wednesday reitrated the commitment of the institution to dialogue with the students and the students body.
This was contained in a statement by the vice chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola yesterday.
According to Professor Folasade, the university management has continued to engage with various stakeholders, and this became necessary due to the recent review of the school’s obligatory fees.
“One of these engagements is the meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
“Consequently, we note the the cancellation of NANS’s protest planned for Wednesday, September 13, 2023 and we remain confident that our engagements will help to resolve issues.
“We wish to reassure the university community and general public of the numerous measures being taken to support students due to the review. We urge our students and other members of the university community to remain calm, and go about their legitimate activities peacefully,” she said.
