The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has condemned the university management’s decision to implement a 100 to 120 percent increase in school fees for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The union described it as “a brutal and calculated attack” on students’ right to education.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by SUG President Comrade Adio James, General Secretary Comrade Alao Ayorinde, and Public Relations Officer Comrade Abiola David, the union declared the fee hike unacceptable, citing harsh economic realities, poor hostel conditions, erratic power supply, and inadequate learning facilities already faced by students.
The SUG, under its “Better Days Cabinet,” gave the university management a 24-hour ultimatum to reverse the decision and convene an emergency meeting with student leaders.
It warned that failure to comply would trigger mass resistance.
The union urged the students to boycott the payment of the revised fees.
The union also accused the management of introducing the new fees without transparency or consultation, insisting that governance must prioritize affordable education.
While calling for dialogue, the union vowed it would not hesitate to mobilize lawful protests if its demands were ignored.
The statement read, “In the name of Aluta, the fierce mother of all struggles, we, THE BETTER DAYS CABINET, rise with righteous fury to condemn the outrageous and heartless decision by the university management to slam a minimum 100% increase, reaching a staggering 120% in some departments on school fees for the 2025/2026 academic session. This is not just an increment; it is a brutal, calculated attack on our dreams, our future, and our fundamental right to education. WE DECLARE THIS UNACCEPTABLE, AND WE WILL NOT BOW!
“The average FUOYE student is already crushed under the weight of a merciless economy, skyrocketing costs of living, poorly maintained hostels, erratic power supply, and learning conditions that test our very sanity. Yet, in their arrogance, the university management dares to double our burdens without a shred of transparency or consultation.
“This is not governance; it is oppression! This fee hike is a death sentence to the aspirations of countless students, especially those from struggling families who scrape by to afford education.”
“We will not stand idly by while our futures are auctioned off to the highest bidder,” the union said.
The students’ body demanded that the university management must “reverse this extortionate fee hike within the next 24 hours and convene an emergency meeting with the FUOYESUG to address this injustice”.
“Failure to comply will ignite the full force of our collective resistance. We are not here to beg; we are here to DEMAND what is ours- affordable education!” it declared
“We call on every FUOYE student to REFUSE to pay a single kobo of this preposterous amount. Let the management feel the weight of our defiance. A government that demands a 100% fee increase without improving our lecture halls, roads, or basic amenities is not just merciless, it is an enemy of progress.”
It urged the management not to “mistake our call for dialogue as weakness,” adding, “We extend a hand of partnership, but know this, if you choose to remain adversaries, we are ready to fight with every lawful weapon in our arsenal.”
“Reverse this fee hike, or face the consequences of a united student body that will not be silenced or subdued,” it said.
This newspaper reported on Monday that non-teaching staff unions at the school, comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), staged a protest.
Their protest was against what they described as gross maladministration, financial recklessness, and abuse of power by the Governing Council of the institution.
This newspaper learnt that the workers, who held a joint congress, passed a vote of no confidence in Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Chairman of the Governing Council, accusing him of usurping the functions of university management and approving questionable expenditures.
Top among their grievances is the approval of ₦128 million for the Vice-Chancellor’s leave allowance, which they described as “excessive and unnecessary” given the current financial hardship facing staff.
They also faulted the council’s decision to approve ₦900 million for the purchase of a building outside the university campus without proper consultation or transparency.
The protesters alleged that staff welfare and infrastructural needs are being neglected while council members embark on foreign trips, including travels to Kigali, at the expense of the university community.
Source: SaharaReporter
