Wetin dey happen for Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) dis days na serious matter wey don make students vex reach to protest. Di whole gist na say di school management don increase school fees for some courses, and di students say dem no fit afford am. As we dey yarn dis report, di campus dey hot like pepper soup, with students wey gather for di main gate to show dem anger.
According to wetin we gather, di fee hike affect mainly science and engineering students. For example, students wey dey study Medicine and Surgery now go pay almost double wetin dem dey pay before. Na dis one make di students vex pass, because many of dem come from families wey no get plenty money. One student wey talk to us say, “How dem wan make we pay N250,000 when our papa no dey see N50,000 for month?”
Di protest start early morning yesterday, with students carrying placards wey write messages like “Education No Be For Rich People Only” and “VC, Have Mercy On Us.” Di atmosphere dey tense, but as at di time we dey write dis report, no violence don happen. Di students just dey chant and block di main entrance to make dia voice heard.
Di Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, Professor Abayomi Fasina, don address di students. He promise say di management go look into di matter quickly. According to him, di fee increase na because of rising cost of running di university and need to improve facilities. But he add say dem go consider di students’ plight and find middle ground.
Some lecturers wey we talk to say dem understand both sides. One senior lecturer for Faculty of Science tell us say, “Di university really need money to function well, but di timing bad because many parents still dey recover from last year’s economic wahala.” He suggest say maybe dem fit introduce installment payment or scholarship for brilliant but poor students.
As at now, di protest still dey ongoing, but di VC don set up committee to meet with student leaders today. Di students say dem no go leave di gate until dem see concrete action. Di whole situation dey remind people of similar protests wey happen for other Nigerian universities last year.
For now, academic activities dey partially paralyzed as many students join di protest. Di school security and some police officers dey on ground to maintain peace. We go continue to follow di story as e dey unfold.
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