The Pan African Student Movement has written to the management of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, requesting a reversal of the recent increase in school fees, along with other institutions facing similar issues.
The movement also condemns a trending video in the media depicting an ugly, unfortunate, unprovoked, unwarranted, and unjustifiable attack on student leaders in Lagos State who were peacefully protesting the abnormal and unjust school fee increment in Unilag.
UNILAG, in a statement dated July 20, 2023, increased fees for undergraduate students following a meeting by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), UNILAG branch, and top management staff.
Under this new fee structure, students studying medicine, who previously paid N19,000, will now pay N190,250, while students in courses requiring laboratory and studio access will pay N140,250.
In a statement signed by the president of PSM Nigeria, Comrade Amb Bestman Okereafor, he urged the Vice Chancellor of the institution to reconsider the increment, expressing doubts about its intentions.
He stated, “We suspect that the increment is a deliberate and calculated attempt to cause public disaffection toward the Lagos state governor, the Nation’s president, and the ruling party.”
He also advised other institutions planning to increase school fees to halt such plans, as they will face strong resistance from Nigerian students.
“We equally demand the immediate release of student leaders apprehended by officers of the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command, while urging Lagos State Commissioner Of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, to consider routine sensitization and reorientation of his officers, especially in crisis management.
“We are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, as it is a matter of concern that a state that has produced the serving Nigerian President is facing issues of fee increments.
“Despite the high value Your Excellency, President Tinubu, placed on education, your positive impact in the education sector during your tenure as Lagos state governor cannot be overemphasized. Your excellency, we also remember the fatherly role you played during the last 8 months of the ASUU strike, even as a presidential aspirant at the time.
“PSM will not hesitate to join forces with other like-minded organizations such as NANS, and others in occupying Unilag soonest. We strongly believe that education is a right and not a privilege, and it is the fundamental obligation of any responsible government to prioritize education, security, agriculture, and health sectors, which are most capable of bringing economic stability,” he said.
