Protest Hit MAPOLY Over Fee Hike, Others

Some students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY), Ogun State, have stormed their school gates to protest an increase in acceptance fees paid by newly admitted students, among other grievances.

Naija News gathered that the students trooped out on Monday morning around 7 a.m. at the institution’s gate to protest the hike in acceptance fees and also to express displeasure at their withheld results.

According to The Punch, men of the Nigeria Police Force were also present at the scene, providing security for the students who were sighted with placards with inscriptions such as #No To Increment of Tuition Fee, #Rector Must Go, #Release our Result ASAP among others.

The Students Union Governor of the institution, Babatunde Adelola, said they were protesting because the school management increased acceptance fees from N35,000 to N50,500, and all attempt to meet with the recto has proved abortive.

He explained that the management’s justification for the hike in the acceptance fees is that the institution is not getting adequate subsidy from the state government.

Adelola also complained about the delay in releasing their results by the school, saying it usually takes about a year for a semester result to be released.

“We have many reasons to protest. Recently, the school said they are not getting funding from the state government and they need to generate funds internally, which was why they increased the acceptance fee from N35,000 to N50,500.

“Aside from the hike in fee, the delay in the release of our result is affecting students. For instance, those who graduated last session are yet to be mobilised for service, I am in HND 2 second semester, and I am yet to see the result of the exams I did in HND 1 second semester. This is affecting students because they do not know their academic standing and how well to prepare for the next exams.

“We requested to meet the Rector through the DSA, but we were told that he is not available. They gave us another appointment again, which they did not honour. Last Monday, when the non-academic staff decided to protest, they asked us to meet again, but it also failed.

“We are demanding immediate reversal of the acceptance fee back to status-quo and urgent release of outstanding results,” Adelola submitted.

Another institution student, Olamide Ojelade, expressed fear that increasing acceptance fees can also lead to increased school fees if tolerated.

Ojelade declared, “The acceptance used to be N25,500 before it was increased to N35,000, and now it has been increased to N50,500. Before they increase school fees again, that is why we are protesting.”

However, in a swift reaction, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Yemi Ajibola, said the institution’s management is unaware of any of the grievances laid by the students.

He said, “The management is not aware of their grievances because they did not inform us of any reason why they are protesting. The management needs to be informed of what their grievances are for the management to be able to sit and deliberate on it. If they channel their grievances appropriately, it will be attended to.”