The administration of Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has explained the reasons for a recent review of the institution’s medical and acceptance fees.
It also criticised the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), threat to disrupt peace on the twin campuses of FUOYE on account of unfounded allegation of fees’ hike.
The institution’s administration said that it is curious that such threat had come from NANS and not students of FUOYE when indeed, NANS President, Akpan Bamidele, had recently, after the September 10 bloody protest, in a peace meeting with FUOYE Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, praised the VC and management for maintaining cordial and caring relationship with students.
On NANS’ threat against peace in FUOYE, spokesman of the school, Godfrey Bakji, said: ” FUOYE hasn’t put up any significant increment of fees, except for medical and acceptance fees for justifiable causes. Our medical fees now has to be N10,000 while the acceptance fee is now N50,000.
“Fees in federal universities are usually not unilaterally fixed. There are levels of consultations among stakeholders, which has been done or ongoing.
“As to whether we can cope with a lower acceptance fee because we are a Federal University, this is not true, because the university met many uncompleted projects and we have had to complete them from our meagre resources. Examples include the Central Administration, the three-In-Laboratory where we were given only half the sum by government. There is also the newly completed hostel and the Engineering Workshop in Ikole among other projects.
“There are so many developmental projects going on in the two campuses of FUOYE and whatever we do in Oye we have to repeat them in Ikole. Previously, we usually have all our 100 level students in Oye but now because of security and convenience of students, we have moved the first year students in faculties of Engineering and Agriculture to Ikole campus and this means that so many facilities that we already have in Oye campus such as the large lecture theatres, the sports complex, other lecture rooms, offices and others, have to be repeated in Ikole campus. To do all these projects, we need money. But even at that there hasn’t been any significant increment in our fees, except in some faculties and departments where some special fees have been suggested for practical workshops.
“We should look at what is currently obtainable in other universities. Acceptance fees in a State University for instance, is currently N57,000 generally for their students. For medical and engineering students, their acceptance fees is over N100,000 currently. Ours is not even near such amount.”