The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said that it was not planning to increase its tuition fee to N55,700 contrary to a reportirculated by the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.
It may be recalled that NAN had quoted the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, as having made the claim in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
However, it was gathered that OAU students currently pay between N19,700 and N33,700, depending on their course of study.
In a press statement made available on today, the OAU Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, explained that the tuition fee remained as increased three years ago.
It may be recalled that the charges of students of the institution were increased from N5,300, N7,800, N10, 300 and N12,800 per session to N19,700, N30,700 and N33,700 for different faculties respectively in June 2014.
Olarewaju said, “The attention of the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has been drawn to a news item that ’38 Varsities increase tuition fees’, where OAU was listed among the universities that have increased their tuition fees.
“Although there may be paucity of funds from the Federal Government in running the institutions of higher learning, which might have prompted some universities to upwardly review their fees, but the situation in OAU is quite different.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no meeting, either of the university management or Senate, where the fee increment was announced; and the vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Tope Ogunbodede, has not contemplated on increasing any fee in OAU.
“In actual fact, his administration is poised to making the welfare of staff and students a topmost priority.”
He urged students and parents to disregard the information, adding that the new VC was committed to running a transparent administration.
“Accordingly, the VC has advised the students, their parents and/or guardians to completely disregard as unfounded rumour the said news item.
“The administrative and academic affairs of OAU will not be run in secret. The VC will not renege on his pledge of running a very open and transparent administration,” he added.
He therefore urged journalists to avoid reports that could plunge universities into avoidable crisis.
