The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has ordered the re-opening of the institution on April 27, 2011.
The institution was closed on February 23rd, 2011
following a protest by students over alleged increment of fees. The
students had challenged the 1,000 percent increment of the acceptance
fee paid by new students from N2,000 to N20,000.
A statement issued yesterday by the institution’s
spokesperson, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the university Senate at
its meeting on March 30, 2011 reviewed the circumstances surrounding
the crisis and the reports of its committee, and decided to re-open the
university for the continuation of the 2010/2011 harmattan semester.
The statement said students are expected to resume
on the campus on Wednesday while lectures for the semester would
continue on Thursday, April 28, 2011, adding that the matriculation
ceremony earlier scheduled for February 23rd, 2011 will now hold on
Wednesday 5th May, 2011.
No students union
The statement further said: “The students union
remains suspended indefinitely in view of the irresponsible act of
brigandage and terrorism of the students union officers which were
inimical to the overall interest of the majority of the students of the
university who were law abiding.”
The university management therefore appealed to
parents and guardians to always prevail on their children and wards to
be of good behaviour and orderly conduct that will facilitate the
smooth running of the university.
However, it was gathered that the management of
the university has not reversed its stand on the payment of N20,000
acceptance fees by new students.
Mr Olarewaju said the university’s Senate decided
to re-open the institution in honour of eminent Nigerians, including
traditional rulers who had intervened in the matter.
He said the university has not taken any reverse position on its
initial decision, saying that the authorities of the university were
magnanimous as the acceptance fees of the institution is the least in
the country.
