Hike in fees: UNIOSUN, state govt, group trade words
The management of the Osun State University, UNIOSUN, has described as misleading the information that it has increased tuition fees for the upcoming academic session.
In a statement released by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji on Monday, he added that the recent adjustments in fees was solely for ancillary charges and not tuition fees.
“The recent adjustments in fees pertain solely to ancillary charges, not tuition fees.
“The University reaffirms the earlier statement made by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Clement Adebooye, confirming that there would be no increment in tuition fees due to prevailing economic challenges.
“The reported increment purportedly discovered on the institution’s website does not relate to tuition and is described accordingly.
“Osun State University remains committed to providing quality education while ensuring transparency and accuracy in its communication with the public,” added Adesoji.
Meanwhile, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, in its November state of the state address rejected the purported reduction in the funding to UNIOSUN.
In the address by its Executive Director, Prof Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, TOM maintained that the implications of a reduction in subvention to UNIOSUN was such that the institution will be forced to increase its revenue.
“We are aware of a recent slash in the amount of government subvention to the Osun State University.
“Whatever predicated such a decision, we do not know, but we strongly reject any reduction in the funding to Osun State University.
“The implications of a reduction in subvention is such that to continue to meet its recurrent and capital obligations, the institution will be forced to increase its revenue, particularly through an increase in School fees,” it stated.
TOM added that resorting to doing this will further exacerbate the pressure on parents who are already impoverished by the hardship in the country.
However, in a statement signed by Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, the government insisted that it found the allegations by TOM curious as the Vice Chancellor publicly confessed that the current government has done more than any government in the state for the university.
“We find it curious that the group finds it convenient to ignore the completion of several abandoned projects at the university by the current administration which led to the Vice Chancellor confessing.
“If not for political bias, we expect the group to list university projects initiated and completed by the Adeleke administration instead of focussing on overhead financing adjustments which even the university management accepted is compensated for by the huge capital funding support the university is getting from the state government,” he stated.
