NO TUITION, ACCOMMODATION FEES INCREASE IN UI FOR NOW---VC University of Ibadan (UI) Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole has assured the students and parents that his administration was not planning to increase either tuition or accommodation fees for this session, but will regulate the consumption rate of electricity in all hostels in the institution.
To this end, the university has banned the use of hot plates, boiling rings and other electric cooking gadgets which are common among the students, promising to put in place efficient kitchenette that will make cooking decent and cost effective.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ forum, comprising student union leaders, management team and other interest groups in preparation for the 2012/2013 session, Prof. Adewole disclosed that contrary to the speculation that the university was planning to heavily increase payable fees, the school will still experiment with the idea of cutting cost by regulating the use of electricity in the hostels which is really draining the financial strength of the university.
“We spend over N400million to maintain the hostels every year, whereas the total amount we realize in collecting tuition fees is N144million. We can all see that the university has really been subsidizing the use of hostels by the students. We cannot continue this way as the money coming into the university is not enough to cater for all the needs. For this session, we shall experiment with cutting down the cost by regulating how you (students) use electric power, but by next session, I don’t know what may happen”, he said.
Prof. Adewole who seriously warned the students to be prudent in using the resources in the university noted that the electricity bill drastically reduced during holiday, but added “the moment the students resume, the bill quadruple, because the students use all manner of electric gadgets including hot plates and boiling to cook beans”
The VC who reviewed his two-year performance in office declared that his administration has not done badly at all because “we have been able to deliver on most of the promises including workers’ welfare, stable electricity, renovation and rejuvenation of infrastructure,­ clean environment, restoration of student unionism among other achievements, saying parents can now check the result of their children on-line”
He said, “My administration has also been able to computerize most of our activities on campus such as allocation of room and bed space which is done on-line. All fresh students are automatically given accommodation on-line because they are new to the environment, just as we have significantly improved the learning conditions of our students with a view to making life more comfortable for them” Responding, the student union President, Mr. Raymond Edosa who thanked the VC for his relentless efforts aimed at improving the learning condition pointed out that Prof. Adewole was one of the most accessible Vice-Chancellor­s in Nigeria with his phone number that is in the public domains and his Facebook account through which the students interact with him and the kind of positive response they get” Mr. Edosa urged Prof. Adewole led management team to continue to be students’ friendly pointing out that the condition of many students on campus is pitiable, “it is only a kind of consideration we are getting under this administration that can ameliorate their learning condition”
Sunday Saanu,
Unniversity of Ibadan
08059436919