This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Akure
by the institution’s Director of Corporate Communication, Mr Adegbenro
Adebanjo.
Adebanjo said that the management had also directed all
students currently on campus and in hostels within the university, to vacate
them within 24 hours.
He said the university’s management directed that
registration and payment of fees of all returning students for the academic
session via the university portal, scheduled to begin on Monday, be put on
hold.
According to him, the university has not yet opened the
portal for returning students for the new session, contrary to what is being
bandied in the public domain.
The institution’s spokesman denied the alleged increment in
school fees by the university management, saying that tuition was free.
“On the proposed new fees and charges, they are mainly for
students-related services which are sourced from the economy.
“And the costs of such goods and services provided by the
university for the students will certainly be impacted by costs of goods and
services in the economy.
“To ensure smooth running of the university, certain
consumables and payments for municipal services such as electricity, water,
hostel maintenance and cleaning and sundry other services are necessary.
“And the costs of providing the services have shot up and
the new charges are in response to this.
“Other costs that were adjusted as a result of economic
reality include medical examination for all new students, biometric identity
cards and Tertiary Institutions’ Students Health Insurance Programme,
administered by NHIS for students and final year book.
“The management reiterates that tuition remains free for all
students and that it has inbuilt mechanism within the system to look into and
build consensus on matters affecting students including charges and fees.
“And that mechanism is working on this matter and consensus
will be achieved,” he said.
Earlier, students of the institution staged a peaceful
protest, alleging that the university’s management had increased the school
fees despite economic hardship in the country.
Addressing the protesting students, the President of FUTA
Student Union Government, Mr Oluwasoromidayo Olayemi, pleaded with the
management of the school to revert to the old school fees.
Olayemi said the last increment in tuition fees was not up
to one year before the new hike.
He alleged that the management increased the school fees to
over N200,000 for new students, while returning students paying N35,000 would
now pay at least N130,000 depending on academic programme.
He said that the peaceful protest would continue until the
fees were reverted.