University Of Lagos Students Protest Hike In Hostel Fees, Reject Eviction Order By Authorities
Students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Idi-Araba campus, Lagos State, have taken to the campus to protest a hike in the hostel fees.
SaharaReporters gathered that the affected students are from the College of Medicine and the Faculty of Pharmacy.
The protests erupted after the school management proposed new fees of N80,000 for two semesters and N100,000 for a full academic year, an increase from the previous N65,000 fee agreed upon last session following a report by SaharaReporters.
Chanting slogans such as “Change the memo, we no dey go,” the students demanded the reversal of the fee hike and expressed their frustration over the management’s decision to impose the higher charges despite earlier agreements.
In response, UNILAG authorities ordered the students to vacate the hostels, further intensifying the tension on campus.
Protesters have remained defiant, insisting they would not leave until their demands were met.
SaharaReporters also learnt that police officers had been deployed to the scene to monitor the protest and prevent any escalation.
However, the situation remained tense, with students calling on the school management to reduce the proposed fees and address their concerns.
In a notice letter released by Olusegun Akinnagbe, Principal Assistant Secretary of the Students Affairs Unit, obtained by SaharaReporters, students were asked to vacate the hostels despite having paid a one-year fee.
The letter read, “Notice of Vacation of the Hostel to Non-Medical Graduating & Undergraduate Students of the College of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy
“Further to our notice reference: CM/SA/D/17/VOL.1 dated 16th October, 2024 with respect to the above subject, Management has directed as follows
According to Akinnagbe, the deadline for the vacation of the hostel be moved to12 noon, Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024,
“Any student who is desirous of staying in the hostel pending the defense of his/her project, industrial attachment or any other valid reason must apply in writing through his/her Head of Department through the Dean to the Provost.
“It is compulsory to state the length of stay in the hostel. Applications must reach the Students Affairs Office latest by Monday, 28th October, 2024.
He added that students whose application was approved would be charged a fee to be pro-rated accordingly.
Efforts by SaaraReporters to get a response from the Head of the Communication Unit, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, were unsuccessful as she did not answer calls or respond to messages sent to her.
