Akoka area of Lagos was locked down in a heavy traffic on Friday as students of the University of Lagos protested in the school, accusing the management of extortion.
The students locked the school gates for over six hours and stopped vehicles from entering or going out of the school premises, causing a gridlock which extended to some parts of Ikeja and Bariga.
The protest was in reaction to the alleged introduction of N10,000 penalty for late registration of courses by the school authorities. According to the students, the penalty for late registration of courses, which increased by N5,000 every week, had accumulated to N20, 000 since the policy was introduced four weeks ago.
They also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that students who were taking the general course, GST, examination were asked to pay N600 for the examination, which they said used to be free.
The students, who called on the authorities to reverse the move and refund the money that had so far been paid by some of them as penalty for late registration, threatened to continue the protest if they still have difficulty accessing the online portal on Monday.
One of the protesters, Ayodele Abayomi, alleged that the newly-introduced fee on late registration and introduction of N5,000 health insurance fee, which started in 2012/2013 session, were extortion by the school authorities.
“Before now, there was nothing like late registration of courses because students sometimes need to edit or delete some of the courses they already registered for, which students have genuine reasons to do all the time,” he said.
In UNILAG, late payment of tuition fee attracts a N10,000 penalty, which the students said they were aware of.
A 400 level student of Metallurgical Engineering, Sulaimon Taiwo, said the protest was also prompted by fears that UNILAG was taking after the public universities that increased their tuition fees recently.
“We are afraid because we see what is happening at the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos and the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, where tuition fees have been increased beyond the reach of many students,” he said.
A 400 level Mass Communication student of the university, Victor Olanipekun, said the protest was justified, and wondered why the management would ask students to pay for editing their courses.
“This protest is right. Asking us to pay for editing our course forms is unjustifiable. We need a student union in this school. Although the protest was successful, we would have spoken with one voice if we had SUG,” he said.
However, the protest was like a carnival as the students, who employed the service of a Disk Jockey, were seen dancing to the music at the school gate.
In a statement by the institution’s Assistant Registrar, Information Unit, Olawale Olasunmade, which was made available to Saturday PUNCH, the school denied the students’ allegations.
The statement read, “The portal of the school remains open and available for students to access; add and delete and continues to be free on the university portal and there is no increment in the charges for late registration.”
The school, however, said that examinations, which were to start on June 23, 2014, had been postponed till June 30, 2014 following the protest.
