Exclusive interview of the Channels Sunrise Programme with the Obafemi Awolowo University Student Union Government- Ibikunle Issac
INTERVIEWER- What is the rate of the increase?
President-about 320% increase…
Interviewer- that is what to what
President-17000 to a hundred thousand naira
Interviewer- for
students?
President- for
students, apart from 20,000 acceptance fees.
Interview- what about returning students?
President- they haven’t disclosed that for now.
Interview- returning students no increment on their part?
President- there is increment but no announcement
Interview- what are the students protesting?
President- it’s the increase of fresh students and Post
graduates school fees
Interviewer- and post graduates? So fresh students are the one joining soon?
President- Yes
Interviewer- so why the protest?
President- sir in Ife, the last hope for the children of the
masses is Obafemi Awolowo University, just because of that fees, we still have
opportunity to come for University Education, unlike some other schools we have
Emeka payment, we have some people commercializing Education. We have funds in
Oau, there is no justification for this increament. We have all the sources for
funds, in oau. Three years ago, our acceptance fee was increase to twenty
thousand from two thousand.
Interviewer- what is the ground for the protest? Are you
saying no increment whatsoever?
President- For now, no increment, if there is going to be
any increment, let the student representatives come on board, let see the books
of the management itself.
Interviewer…Lets talk about your sources of funding, you
talked about the…
President- ok thank you very much, we have acceptance fees for the past three years, nothing to show for it, our light still epileptic, our water bad. six thousand Naira for every jam bites and we have like 50 thousands students every year.
Channels- the university gets a fee for every students that comes within the university every year for jamb. That's 300 million roughly every year?
President- Yes, yes, we have Pure water factory, bread making factory... generating funds from this. We have acceptance fees for the past three years, nothing to show for it. Just some months back, eight million dollars was released to O.A.U from world bank.
Interviewer- where you part of the meeting of the increment?
President- No sir,(brings out a pamphlets) but Asuu released a statement saying the fee was unjustifiable
Interviewer- The students were not aware, you were not aware of the increment before?
President- Not at all
Interviewer- you mean no communications at all?
President- not at all, no communications sir. we just came on board to meet the increment, the sug veto power was withdrawn three years ago, now we back again to meet this same increment, they are bringing increment again, is it that they want to post the student union again?Because they know it can never stand on o.a.u, it cant!
Interviewer- are you saying school fees be stagnant forever, is that what you saying?
President- no that's not what we saying, what we are saying is that, if there is going to be any increment, we must know about it, we must know how much was spent, how much we need. We do not damage property, if at all we do, we have it in written agreement that we must pay a thousand naira for it, but someone wants to fix it alone in an account and be recieving the money alone.
Interviewer- are you suggesting that the school authority submits their books to the students union for clarity, if at all the increment will be done?
President- NO. They should make it open, we want to know, the money we have on ground, how we spent every kobo, lets see how much we need on campus.
Interviewer- you know your school has actually won the best in the country, you should see maybe this is an effort to sustain that position, looking at what you have there, the ict training, your school has been announced to pay a purposed fee of 5000 naira, isnt it because they want you to be the best? Do you at any point meet with Doctor Aborishade, the Asuu Chairman of your school.
President- come again pls?
Interviewer- Have you met with the Asuu Leadership of your school?
president- Yes sir, they released a statement, a congress of all the lecturers, comprising of professors. You see what transpired at the Senate meeting is some people coming on board, some professors,who are so with the management so say this. The board of asuu is against this
interviewer- Is asuu part of the decision making in your school? are they?
President- they are part of the stakeholders in the school on campus, just like NASU.
Interviewer- They are also against it? (second interviewer cuts in) now lets look at the manner of the protest? one was taking it to a federal government road, tell us the reason for that?
President- thank you very much ma, we are a progressive minded civilians, which is why we demanded a negotiation, but the management thought we will go on protest in the campus and they threaten to shut the school down. How can you remove 12thousand naira from a hundred thousand naira. A professor was telling us that they are generals in the war, that we are just new births. That was when we thought of taking it outside. Constitution, section 39...1999 to express, to protest, to occupy. We had maximum security to protect us and the society. We are playing on intellectual battle field. We are sustaining it.
Interviewer- you know where your rights stops, another person begins, you have to exercise your rights with difference to another persons. The people who you stopped on the road also had a right. If i was there, i will exercise my right to pass through.
President- at intervals we do open, even some civilians joined us in the struggle, the population you seeing there isnot just the students alone.
Interviewer- Yes the security officials were there, what was the guarantee it was not going to hijacked from people who says there is a protest here, lets make it rowdy n unmanageable
President- that was why we had the security apparatus, the SSS were involved, the police and even among ourselves.
Interviewer- what is the situation as we speak?
President- yes the Ooni of Ife and Senator Omisore has welded in, most of our alumni as we speak. The matter was supposed to have been resolved this weekend because we have been invited to the Ooni's Palace...
Interviewer-(cuts in) so there maybe a reversal or an increament for both undergraduates and fresh Students?
President- they have not announced for the stalites, what we are saying is that for now, let's stop any increment for now
Interviewer- why?
President- sir, how much do we need? let them invite us and tell us its like one day its th military era, this is a democratic era.
Interviewer- they should invite thestudent union, asuu and tell them this is why and how the increase is, and tell everybody will that fly?
President-sir i want to point your attention to something, last year, we have 6month strike for proper funding of education. About 7billion is allocated to o.a.u. Asuu can not support increment for now, because they are expecting funds. Even all this increment cant amount to billions. Why is our school in a rush? Its like some people want to increase the fees to satisfy themselves. The V.C was saying are we not ashamed of ourselves? when we are paying between 7 thousand to 17 thousand for school fees while he pays over fifty thousand naira for his kids. Is that a good arguement? For now we dont want any increment, whatsoever at all. We dont want any thing that will hamper the downtrodden from going to school.
Interviewer- but you have quality education in O.A.U?
President- We have ample money for that, i have given you the figures, we have alot of sources for that by companies, alumnis etc.
Interviewer- okay, we will see if we can still get the vice chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, we do hope he will pick up the invitation. In the mean time, are you going to shield your swords?
President- actually as it stands now, we have plans lined up. We are waiting for the outcome of the Ooni's, Senator Omisore, Alunmni's intervntion.
Interviewer- Are you going to impede on those going about their duties, i mean in town?
President- now we dont know how we go about it, i can not reveal it now. Boko haram is disuading people in the north, does it mean that the federal government doesnot go about their duties? The managemnt are doing the same.
Interviewer- Ibukun Issac, the SUG President of O.A.U thank you for coming on this morning program.
President- thank you very much sir.
We welcome your comments as you can comment anonymously- Do you think this struggle is a win situation or like the previous episode three year ago, a lost battle for the O.A.U students? Or is this increment Justifiable?
Channels- the university gets a fee for every students that comes within the university every year for jamb. That's 300 million roughly every year?
President- Yes, yes, we have Pure water factory, bread making factory... generating funds from this. We have acceptance fees for the past three years, nothing to show for it. Just some months back, eight million dollars was released to O.A.U from world bank.
Interviewer- what was it for? Because if the world bank
release such funds, its for a specific purpose.
President- Yeah, for facilities on campus, on oau campus, we
have a lot of alumni
Interviewer- you know, you know, looking at the release from your school, your
Vice Chancellor should have been here but i think he has urgent meeting in Abuja but
looking at the justification, the cost of Education has risen. Federal Government reduced the allocation by 50% for funding compared to what the university receives. Oau still has considerable increment to
maintain schools and other tuition levy compared to other schools futa, unilag, uniben etc
President- for instance sir, uni lag pays thirty thousand naira but now o.a.u its over a hundred and twenty thousand naira. We have a proposal from the members of senates on the outcome of the meeting they had. We have a statement and i know what transpires in the statement.Interviewer- where you part of the meeting of the increment?
President- No sir,(brings out a pamphlets) but Asuu released a statement saying the fee was unjustifiable
Interviewer- The students were not aware, you were not aware of the increment before?
President- Not at all
Interviewer- you mean no communications at all?
President- not at all, no communications sir. we just came on board to meet the increment, the sug veto power was withdrawn three years ago, now we back again to meet this same increment, they are bringing increment again, is it that they want to post the student union again?Because they know it can never stand on o.a.u, it cant!
Interviewer- are you saying school fees be stagnant forever, is that what you saying?
President- no that's not what we saying, what we are saying is that, if there is going to be any increment, we must know about it, we must know how much was spent, how much we need. We do not damage property, if at all we do, we have it in written agreement that we must pay a thousand naira for it, but someone wants to fix it alone in an account and be recieving the money alone.
Interviewer- are you suggesting that the school authority submits their books to the students union for clarity, if at all the increment will be done?
President- NO. They should make it open, we want to know, the money we have on ground, how we spent every kobo, lets see how much we need on campus.
Interviewer- you know your school has actually won the best in the country, you should see maybe this is an effort to sustain that position, looking at what you have there, the ict training, your school has been announced to pay a purposed fee of 5000 naira, isnt it because they want you to be the best? Do you at any point meet with Doctor Aborishade, the Asuu Chairman of your school.
President- come again pls?
Interviewer- Have you met with the Asuu Leadership of your school?
president- Yes sir, they released a statement, a congress of all the lecturers, comprising of professors. You see what transpired at the Senate meeting is some people coming on board, some professors,who are so with the management so say this. The board of asuu is against this
interviewer- Is asuu part of the decision making in your school? are they?
President- they are part of the stakeholders in the school on campus, just like NASU.
Interviewer- They are also against it? (second interviewer cuts in) now lets look at the manner of the protest? one was taking it to a federal government road, tell us the reason for that?
President- thank you very much ma, we are a progressive minded civilians, which is why we demanded a negotiation, but the management thought we will go on protest in the campus and they threaten to shut the school down. How can you remove 12thousand naira from a hundred thousand naira. A professor was telling us that they are generals in the war, that we are just new births. That was when we thought of taking it outside. Constitution, section 39...1999 to express, to protest, to occupy. We had maximum security to protect us and the society. We are playing on intellectual battle field. We are sustaining it.
Interviewer- you know where your rights stops, another person begins, you have to exercise your rights with difference to another persons. The people who you stopped on the road also had a right. If i was there, i will exercise my right to pass through.
President- at intervals we do open, even some civilians joined us in the struggle, the population you seeing there isnot just the students alone.
Interviewer- Yes the security officials were there, what was the guarantee it was not going to hijacked from people who says there is a protest here, lets make it rowdy n unmanageable
President- that was why we had the security apparatus, the SSS were involved, the police and even among ourselves.
Interviewer- what is the situation as we speak?
President- yes the Ooni of Ife and Senator Omisore has welded in, most of our alumni as we speak. The matter was supposed to have been resolved this weekend because we have been invited to the Ooni's Palace...
Interviewer-(cuts in) so there maybe a reversal or an increament for both undergraduates and fresh Students?
President- they have not announced for the stalites, what we are saying is that for now, let's stop any increment for now
Interviewer- why?
President- sir, how much do we need? let them invite us and tell us its like one day its th military era, this is a democratic era.
Interviewer- they should invite thestudent union, asuu and tell them this is why and how the increase is, and tell everybody will that fly?
President-sir i want to point your attention to something, last year, we have 6month strike for proper funding of education. About 7billion is allocated to o.a.u. Asuu can not support increment for now, because they are expecting funds. Even all this increment cant amount to billions. Why is our school in a rush? Its like some people want to increase the fees to satisfy themselves. The V.C was saying are we not ashamed of ourselves? when we are paying between 7 thousand to 17 thousand for school fees while he pays over fifty thousand naira for his kids. Is that a good arguement? For now we dont want any increment, whatsoever at all. We dont want any thing that will hamper the downtrodden from going to school.
Interviewer- but you have quality education in O.A.U?
President- We have ample money for that, i have given you the figures, we have alot of sources for that by companies, alumnis etc.
Interviewer- okay, we will see if we can still get the vice chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, we do hope he will pick up the invitation. In the mean time, are you going to shield your swords?
President- actually as it stands now, we have plans lined up. We are waiting for the outcome of the Ooni's, Senator Omisore, Alunmni's intervntion.
Interviewer- Are you going to impede on those going about their duties, i mean in town?
President- now we dont know how we go about it, i can not reveal it now. Boko haram is disuading people in the north, does it mean that the federal government doesnot go about their duties? The managemnt are doing the same.
Interviewer- Ibukun Issac, the SUG President of O.A.U thank you for coming on this morning program.
President- thank you very much sir.
We welcome your comments as you can comment anonymously- Do you think this struggle is a win situation or like the previous episode three year ago, a lost battle for the O.A.U students? Or is this increment Justifiable?
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