STUDENTS' UNION GOVERNMENT
OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY, AGO-IWOYE,OGUN STATE.

PRESS BRIEFING ON 5th AUGUST, 2014

Gentlemen of the press, fellow students, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to this press brifing.

This is the third press briefing, we will be calling since the begining of our agitation for the downward rview of our union tuition fee. This emanates from our belief that carrying along the media and informing the general public is itself a tool for us and also to vitiate any miscommunication between us that would enable any propaganda of the Government as they usually does it, to gain ground.

Gentlemen of the press, it is highly unfortunate that we have to embark on this (2) two days boycott of lectures. We believe that having written to the State Government, we are justifid with our strong premises why there is urgent need for downward reviw of our tuition fee. We hoped that Government as progressiv they want us to believe will set motion in place to reduce our fee. Alas! This was not so, thus, making the two (2) days boycott of lectures an imperative one.

The success of the boycott of lectures clearly showed that indeed, the agitation is not an individual dsire, orchstrated by the Students' Union nither motivated by any political actor/actress, rather the demand of the collective OOUITES whose subjection over the years to pay this exorbitant tuition fee have been a traumatizing one.

Gentlemen of the press, to us, it is high time, we remind His Excellency of his promise of 50% reduction during his campaign in 2011, but came in and gave us 10% which to is, is as if nothing was removed. Understanding that his excellency promisd was oral one, as it lacks any lgal backing, as some people have been saying. However, the truth is, a man of intgrity is the one that stand on his word made, either orally or legally. It behoves on his excellency to prove to us that he is a man of his word. Having relaxed enough since almost 4 years of not seeing the fulfillment of the remaining 40%, we believe it is time to remind the State Government that we are tired of holding on to promise as we want to see result now.

Furthermore, as a student of logic, we no see iota of correlation between the economic reality of Nigeria, and Ogun State in particular and the current exorbitant fee we are paying. What is the minimum wage of the State? What is the per capital income? What is th standard of living? If the answers to all these questions are nothing to write home about, how come the lowest fee in premier state university is 134,000 naira while the highest is 289,000? What parameters was usd to gt to that amount? We dare to ask, of the university can collect the tuition fee by herself, why forcing a contractor of the pay-on-sales (POS) that is charging 5.5 % per students on their fee?

Gentlemen of the press, today, hundred of our students are dropping out of the institution from various level because they cannot continue to pay such amount as th fact remains that th economy of th nation is retrogressing. Unlik decades ago when there were several Government scholarship to help the indigents, when there were mechanisms in plac to assist studnts with fee, where a student can even use his/her bursary to pay fee. Today, nothing like that, which made this exorbitant fee to be unjustifiable, wicked and sublime means to deprive the children from poor home, tietiary education. Free education at primary, we dare to ask, in this 21st century, of what use is free education at primary and no accessibl to tertiary education?

Moreover, our school is the premier State university which reflected the four region of the State in her location of campuss, having about 85% children of the State and being in existence for past 3 decades. It remains the educational pride of the state with her product constituting 67% of the Ogun State Civil Servants, who have been known for excellency and innovatiness, adding to the socio-economical and political development of the State. It is lugubrious that this same university is poorly funded by the State Government with crumbs of subvertion that coms most time late. Isn't ridiculous that for almost 4 years of the existence of this administration, apart from the crumns of subversion, the only thing that came from the Government were 2 marcopolo buses. No single project either library, lectures hall, auditorium, etc can be credited to the State Government. All ongoing projects are either from the Education Trust Fund-TETFUND or the School Managemnt through internally generated revenue. It is clearly a case of been forgotten by the State Government.

Gentlemen of the press, permit me to say, that the State Government should not be considering based on rumour that they are thinking of reducing fee all Ogun State institutions using the same parameter and percentage. One clear factor is that we all cannot b grouped together as a stratum, since we pay different tuition fee. In Tasued the highest fee is about 78,000, just like some polytechnis whereas, here in OOU, the highest is 289,000. For us, each institution reduction should be based on her peculiarity and fee as anything short of that will be totally rejected.

Gentlemen of the press, as we end the boycott of lectures today, we want to use this medium to tell the State Government that we embark on this (2) two days of evet to tell them how serious our students are about downward review of our tuition fee and also how ready they are to give it what it will takes to achieve our demands not minding engaging into class-alliance with any progressive organizations, as this is a destiny issue. Today's reality is , no tertiary education, no future, as it is a reality that those with tertiary education are finding life difficult let alone having no tertiary education, as we cannot allow the continuous drop-out of our students because of this obnoxious and outrageous fee. Therefore, we give the State Government, one week ultimatum, from 6th of August to 13th of August to see downward review of our tuition fee, as we have consulted and no positive response made to us which made us to engage in the boycott of lectures and we hope with this (7) seven days, Government, as we want to believe that his excellency, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, as a man of his would, who truly want the Ogun Standard for us, as Ogun Standard is only possible with affordable tertiary education to Ogun children, we believe that in a week, positive response should come as we will not hesitate to occupy Abeokuta if no reduction after the expiration of the 7 days.

Gentlemen of the press, let me state once again our demands.
1. Demand review of our tuition fee by the State Government.
2. Proper funding of the University.
3. Complete the hostel or transfer it to school. Our students believe that is the solution to our constant scurity agency harassment and insecurity.

Finally, gentlemen of the press, I want to implore all OOUITES to resume their academic activities proper from Wednesday 6th of August, as we prepare for the end of the 7 days ultimatum if no positive response. Let us eschew violence as we are responsible and intellectuals that knows better how to fight for their right without being unlawful. We appreciate all the media personel present here, our lecturers and everybody. It is a collective struggl as we strongly believe that in the face of exorbitant fee, OOUITES shall be victorious.

Thank you.

Signed:
Ifade Olusegun (SOCIALIST)
OOU SUG President
07033937013

If you wanna graduate quickly, don't go to OOU.
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Olabisi Onabanjo University, the most populous & frustrating University in Nigeria.

for your mind

Bro I sight u socialist we don suffer ao parent, can't even ask for poket money frm my parent again on top dis high tuition fee time to voice out nd say ao mind #bring back hw tuition fee to normal standard of living....

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