The university management of Adekunle Ajasin University, situated in Akungba-Akoko, Ondo state has ordered students of the institution to pay a sum of twenty thousand Naira as a reparation fee for destroying properties of the school.
In November 2021, the students of the institution had staged a protest against the policy of the school not allowing them to write their exams without payment of tuition fees.
The protest staged and properties destroyed made the management of the school close the school down.
According to a Press Statement signed by the Registrar of the school, Olugbenga Arajulu and made available to News Digest, the senate of the university has approved the reopening of the school for academic activities on Sunday, 30th January, 2022.
It reads, “On Wednesday, 12th January, 2022, the senate considered the
Preliminary Report of the Committee on Recent Students’ Violent Protest in the University, and approved that the University be reopened for academic activities on Sunday, 30th January, 2022 while the suspended 1st Semester examination for the 2020/2021 Academic Session should commence on Monday, 31st January 2022.”
“The Senate of the institution has therefore authorized conditions for the resumption of academic activities which include:
“i. All students must pay a reparation fee of Twenty thousand Naira (N20,000.00) only before resumption;
“ii. All outstanding school fees up to the 1st Semester 2020/2021 Academic Session must be paid by all students before resumption;
“iii. All students must be duly registered up to 1st Semester 2020/2021 Academic Session;
“iv. Students must swear to an oath of good behaviour before a Commissioner of Oath. Please, visit the University website for the template to be used;
“v. All students must submit a letter of good conduct duly signed by their Parent/Guardian;
“vi. All students must show evidence for the above (i-v) before they could be admitted to the campus.
“vii. Any student who is unable to pay his/her school fees should request for Leave of Absence (LOA).
“The Senate of the University also endorsed procedures for continuation of the suspended 1st Semester examination for the 2020/2021 Academic Session:
“First and Second week (30th January -12th February, 2022):
100 and 200 Level students examinations, beginning with Departmental and Faculty courses; after which the University-widecourses (GST and ENT) would follow.
“Third and Fourth week (13th – 26th February, 2022):
300, 400 and 500 Level students examinations.
“Students in higher levels with carryover in lower-level courses would be allowed to write the examinations for the lower-level courses after fulfilling the aforementioned conditions.
“The management of the school however declared that “Only students writing examinations shall be allowed into the Campus.”
However, some of the students have expressed their displeasure over the reparation fee made mandatory for them. Some believed that only fresh students should be made to face the consequences of the properties being destroyed because only the 100 level students had exams when the protest was staged; while some had appealed to the management of the school to temper justice with mercy as most of their parents are civil servants who the governor of the state has refused to pay as at when due.
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Olufemi Damilola is a versatile, cerebral and eloquent media personnel who has won several media awards and finds interest in service to humanity through writing.