By Damilare Adeleye
Following a protest over late tuition fee registration on Tuesday morning, the management of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, has announced two weeks suspension of academic activities on the campus.
In a statement issued by the institution’s Head, Directorate of Information & Corporate Affairs, Bode Olofinmuagun, the closure of the school took effect from Tuesday, 11th April 2023.
The students were ordered to immediately vacate the campus premises.
Part of the statement reads: “The Vice-Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor Edward Olanipekun, on behalf of the university Senate has approved the suspension of academic activities on campus for two (2) weeks with effect from today, 11th April 2023.
“Arising from the above, all students of the university are ordered to vacate the campus premises immediately and should not be seen within the campus premises for the next two weeks.
“Parents and guardians are hereby advised to invite their wards home immediately.
Any student found wandering around the university premises does so at his/her own risk.”
Our reporter gathered that some students of the institution barricaded the school gate to express their dissatisfaction over the increment in tuition fees and late course registration extra charges which were imposed on the students.
A student of the institution, who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the management imposed N5,000 as a fee for students who failed to pay at least 50% of their allocated fees within the stipulated period for the session.
“The student protested against the fee for the late registration,” the student said.
He further said, “Actually, the school management ordered the payment of #10,000 for the late registration fee. After many consultations and pleading, the management reduced the fee to #5,000 which the students frowned at.”
When asked what the late registration fee stood for, he said, “You have to pay at least 50% of your allocated fees for a session in order to register your courses for a semester within a stipulated time frame. Failure to do so will result in late payment for registration fee.”
While confirming the development, another student who spoke on the phone with our reporter hoped that the matter would be resolved within the two-week suspension.