Amosun closes down OOU over student protests
Governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has ordered the closure of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) with immediate effect, citing continuous student protest in an attempt to force a reduction of their tuition fees.
Earlier in August, the governor slashed fees across all its state-owned tertiary institutions, but while students of other institutions welcomed the development, those of OOU expressed dissatisfaction, engaging in series of protests.
On some occasions, the police resorted to using teargas canisters to disperse them. Reports even had it that some students were shot by the police.
The governor has now deemed the actions of the students as “threatening the peace of the state”, and has urged parents to call them to order, as his government would not condone intolerable acts.
He said the decision to close the institution was arrived at after all attempts to pacify the aggrieved students, who were “acting under the influence of external parties”, proved abortive,
“Security reports have since confirmed that because the students are acting under external influence, no concession made by the government will be satisfactory to them,” read a statement signed by Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, secretary to the state government.
“OOU students staged a violent demonstration in the state capital, Abeokuta, on August 15 and it took the personal intervention of the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to restore normalcy.
“The governor thereafter set up an ad-hoc committee to discuss with the students with a view to resolving the situation. During discussions with the ad-hoc committee, OOU students maintained their stand that the fees must be further reduced and that the implementation must commence immediately.
“Consequently, we have no option than to order the immediate closure of all the campuses of Olabisi Onabanjo University to protect the students and other residents of the state and their property. We urge all parents to impress on their wards the need to maintain peace in the interest of all.”
Adeoluwa said the demand of the students that the new school fees regime should commence in the present academic session is unrealistic, as the government cannot afford to bear the N2 billion cost implication.
Democracy is truly practice only wen govt listens to his pple nd fulfil their wishes witout using arm forces………amosun administration is a failure,infact amosun himself is a traitor,a betrayer and a big liar…..of course we r university students,we are a polytechnic student like him…we truly knw what politics is,u cnt be politicing wit us nd xpect us to b luking..never we r nt daft…if oda schools could nt use their brain to meditate,we can use ours..u want to promise nd fail us again as u did in d first place,never d mistake can never repeat itself..u dnt deserve our trust again..u r too brutal nd cruel…a lot of houses were demolished truout ogun state witout compensation to d owners,a lot of bridges are under construction witout finishing dem,by d way who clamour for bridges nd road? Is it a most u follow wat fashola is doing? No p,contunu…many ppl are dying of hunger,no better food to eat,no clothe,ppl are searching for job nd u still keep searching lectures, teachers nd lot of civil servants in spite all u r still increasing school fees..may God deal wit u…moreover,necessary roads r dere for u to do,bt those ones r non of ur concern bcos of ur selfishness bt remember one thing dat nuffin in dis life is permanent it just appears to b in flux…watch out for ur nemesis…use pharao as a case study,bt I wnt u to knw dat God is greater dan all human being