Osun state government has denied that it increased the tuition fees of students in the state-owned tertiary institutions, contrary to what the students alleged.
The government then called on students in the state owned higher institutions to handle their reservations for increase in some fees payable in their institutions with maturity, sense of responsibility and reality of the situation at hand.
In a relase issued and signed on Monday by the state commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, a copy of which was made available to Amiloaded in Osogbo, “government put it on record that it has not authorized any increment in the tuition fees in all the state owned tertiary institutions and that only ancillary fees were increased by institutions authorities based on some considerations.”
“As at today, the tuition fees of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and the College of Technology, Esa-Oke remain N25, 000 while that of Osun state College of Education, Ilesa and Ila-Orangun is still N20, 000.
“It is pertinent to remind the people that the Aregbesola government, at its inception and without being persuaded in 2011 reduced the tuition fees of all the state owned tertiary institutions from N45, 000 to N25, 000. Since the reduction in 2011, the government has not put a penny on the tuition fees.
“Government wishes to state that the managements of the tertiary institutions are at liberty to fix extraneous fees and are responsible for its regulations; it insists that tuition fees are yet to be increased.
“Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola reiterates its commitment to promoting functional and affordable education, the manifestation of which is the improvement in the standard of education in the state.
“The government called on the students to be peaceful and orderly on their protest. It is true that protest is legitimate but they should not be allowed to be hijacked by miscreants and political jobbers who were always looking for such avenue to unleash unpleasant experiences on the people. They should be informed that the rights of other people start from there theirs end.
Recall that students in the state higher institutions had on Monday morning taken over major areas in Osogbo, protesting alleged increment in their tuition fees.
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