Students of Obafemi Awolowo University have called on the management of the institution to reverse its accommodation policy, which had forced undergraduates to rent apartments outside the school campus at exorbitant rates.
The students under the aegis of Save OAU Now Campaign, in a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, said that the situation had put the lives of many undergraduates in danger as they now contend with armed robbers and other categories of criminals almost everyday.
The statement reads, “Over a hundred cases of armed robbery have been reported by students staying off-campus since the inception of the accommodation policy in 2018 with one claiming the life of a student, Babalola Abiodun. Students experience at least four robbery incidents in a week.
“We believe that this new move to further deny students accommodation on campus will lead to more danger for undergraduates.
“The recent announcement made by the management to deprive all returning students accommodation on campus will lead to inflation in the price of accommodation off-campus.
“This can only cause untold hardship for students and parents who are already victims of a collapsed Nigerian economy.
“These adverse conditions will further push students towards cybercrime, prostitution, low academic performance as well as cultism as means to find protection.
“There are already rumours that the new blocks built with the NEEDS intervention funds of 2015 are being allocated for amounts between N60,000 to N150,000 as opposed to the legal fee of N3,090 approved by the university’s Senate.”
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