May Fees Fall at Nigeria’s Premier University

The premier University of Ibadan has not remained the same since the students of the university resolved to troop out in protest against some newly introduced policies of the university, having to do with hike in tuition payable, electricity rationing and victimization of students on Thursday 29th August, 2024.

The demonstration, which according to available reports, broke out after students gathered to react to the policy at the Trenchard Hall of the university has also invited the brutal actions of the Nigerian Police Force who has effected arrests of student activists. Some of these activists are said to have been released as at the time of writing this article.

While the building protest at Trenchard is nothing but a resistance move against the highlighted policies which were designated “obnoxious” by the students, the students who had been presented before different disciplinary panels for the slight confrontation that took place in the course of the inauguration of the newly elected students union executives on 13th May, 2024, are deemed to be the spirit of the struggle.

In a memo delivered to three students, namely, Olamide Gbadegeshin of the Institute of African Studies, Aduwo Ayodele of the Department of History, as well as Nice Linus on the 21st June, 2024, the management alleged the disruption of the inauguration programme, called them out over acts of insubordination, disrespect and acts deemed unruly.

My readers must be aware that not only has this invitation made the University of Ibadan a theater of the absurd, it has also put authorities, including the country’s leadership, under scrutiny.

Amnesty International, a multinational human rights group has this to say about the plight of the invited students: “Amnesty International calls on the University of Ibadan to rescind plans to expel three students for exercising their human rights; by participating in a protest against an outrageous fee hike that so far forced many students to withdraw from University education.”

It further states, “The university of Ibadan had invited the three students: Olamide Gbadegeshin, Aduwo Ayodele and Nice Linus to appear before a disciplinary committee in what appears to be an attempt to intimidate them. In the face of the worst economic crisis, universities should be reducing fees.”