Students of the University of Ibadan have embarked on a protest against a 114 percent increment in accommodation fee and According to the university official website, the hostel fee has been increased from N14,000 to N30,000. The medical students are however expected to pay N40, 000 accommodation fee for 2017/2018 session.

The students locked the halls’ gates to express their displeasure over what they consider as “inhumane development” from the management.

A medical student of the university who spoke in a telephone interview explained further.

“All medical students are presently protesting against this hike. The ABH gate is presently under lock. The university increased the fee without any improvement in the state of things.”

Another student who spoke under the condition of anonymity to avoid victimisation told our correspondent that “nothing has been done for students to see as the reason for the increment. We live in a nation where academics is now strictly for the rich. I doubt if this university is still a federal university.”

A male student who identified himself as Segun told newsmen that the proscription of the students union is part of their predicament.

“If the union has not been proscribed, we may have those who will challenge the authority. This is unpleasant and a slap on Nigerian education sector. I applied to study in a federal government university not private owned school because I know that my parents are not financially buoyant.”

However, the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, last Saturday gave a statement on his Facebook page justifying the increment,

”A slight adjustment is necessary to meet the running of the hostels. Federal Government, many years back, had stopped providing funds for running the halls. As a result, the university spends about N100 million over what is collected as accommodation fee for running the halls. The university is no longer in a position to continue to provide this subsidy,” he said.