News

Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello - Unilag VC Akoka area of Lagos was locked down in a

heavy traffic on Friday as students of the

University of Lagos protested in the school,

accusing the management of extortion. The students locked the school gates for over

six hours and stopped vehicles from entering or

going out of the school premises, causing a

gridlock which extended to some parts of Ikeja

and Bariga. The protest was in reaction to the alleged

introduction of N10,000 penalty for late

registration of courses by the school authorities.

According to the students, the penalty for late

registration of courses, which increased by

N5,000 every week, had accumulated to N20, 000 since the policy was introduced four weeks

ago. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the

fact that students who were taking the general

course, GST, examination were asked to pay

N600 for the examination, which they said used

to be free. The students, who called on the authorities to

reverse the move and refund the money that

had so far been paid by some of them as

penalty for late registration, threatened to

continue the protest if they still have difficulty

accessing the online portal on Monday. One of the protesters, Ayodele Abayomi,

alleged that the newly-introduced fee on late

registration and introduction of N5,000 health

insurance fee, which started in 2012/2013

session, were extortion by the school

authorities. “Before now, there was nothing like late

registration of courses because students

sometimes need to edit or delete some of the

courses they already registered for, which

students have genuine reasons to do all the

time,” he said. In UNILAG, late payment of tuition fee attracts

a N10,000 penalty, which the students said they

were aware of. A 400 level student of Metallurgical Engineering,

Sulaimon Taiwo, said the protest was also

prompted by fears that UNILAG was taking after

the public universities that increased their tuition

fees recently. “We are afraid because we see what is

happening at the Lagos State University, Ojo,

Lagos and the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-

Ife, Osun State, where tuition fees have been

increased beyond the reach of many students,”

he said. A 400 level Mass Communication student of the

university, Victor Olanipekun, said the protest

was justified, and wondered why the

management would ask students to pay for

editing their courses. “This protest is right. Asking us to pay for

editing our course forms is unjustifiable. We

need a student union in this school. Although

the protest was successful, we would have

spoken with one voice if we had SUG,” he said. However, the protest was like a carnival as the

students, who employed the service of a Disk

Jockey, were seen dancing to the music at the

school gate. In a statement by the institution’s Assistant

Registrar, Information Unit, Olawale

Olasunmade, which was made available to

Saturday PUNCH, the school denied the

students’ allegations. The statement read, “The portal of the school

remains open and available for students to

access; add and delete and continues to be free

on the university portal and there is no

increment in the charges for late registration.” The school, however, said that examinations,

which were to start on June 23, 2014, had been

postponed till June 30, 2014 following the

protest.