By James Ogunjimi
“Whatever
the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant
nation.” ― Walter Cronkite
The
situation of things in OOU at present can best be imagined than felt. While
there is no denying the fact that academically and infrastructure-wise, OOU has
improved, the reality on ground however is that OOU is sitting on a keg of
gunpowder, and the explosion can be very devastating.
First,
the contribution of the Ogun State government to the development and
maintenance of the university is ZERO. While tuition fee was increased, one
would have thought the increment would make the state government pay more
attention to the development of the school, but the reverse is the case; not
only is the Ogun state government not contributing a dime to the development of
the school, it has said it would no longer pay even the salaries of the
university staff.
While
noticeable changes can be seen in the school since Professor Saburi Adesanya
took over the reins of the university (the university now has hostels in mini
campus, the hostels in the main campus are nearing completion, a standard
university library is under construction, the sports center is fully equipped
with standard equipments and standard gym, and various buildings are under
construction), the fear is that just like other Vice Chancellors before him
failed because their state government left them to face the 'cold' alone, the
current VC is being set up to fail too. Why?
The salaries of the past three
months of the university staff were paid with money from the university
account; money meant to develop the school and manage the day to day running of
the university. Now, if the money supposed to be used for the daily running of
the university is used to pay salaries, what happens to the school.
Already,reliable information has it that as a result of using university funds
to pay salaries, by August 2014, the university would hit rock bottom financially.
The implication is that, the university would be forced to jerk up tuition fees
even higher, leading to 'crisis' in the university which would stem from the
inevitable protest against the hike by students.
Now,
on the 31st of May 2014, the State Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun claimed that
he had committed N21.6 billion as subvention to its universities in the past
three years. Nothing could be further from the truth than that! Despite the
fact that Governor Amosun allocated more than 20% of his budget on education,
it has just been words on paper; it has failed to translate into reality. The
projects being executed so far has been as a result of the magnanimity of the
various education bodies and the interventions of TETFund and other bodies, not
forgetting the amount raked in from the hike in fees, unrefunded money, etc.
Even the commercial cab drivers pay N100 daily as their contribution to the
development of the school. The bottom line is that everyone is toiling and
struggling, everyone is paying heavily to ensure that this university regains
its status as a leading university in this country and beyond; everybody but
the state government charged with the responsibility of developing, maintaining
and improving the university.
As
things stand in OOU, the least amount being paid by each student is N109,000,
while some students pay as high as N250,000 per session. The normal system is
that, the higher you go, the lower your tuition fee becomes. But in the OOU of
today, the higher you go, if you are lucky, you continue to pay the
astronomical fees you paid in your Year 1, or if you are not so lucky (like
most students), you pay higher fees.
The
views from OOU and the comments of OOU students is that they are tired. When
students are pushed to the wall, they would be left with no option but to fight
back. OOU students have been gathering and meeting; they do not want a
breakdown of law and order, they do not want to be seen as 'troublemakers',
they do not want people to think they do not want the progress of the
university, they do not want to be seen as students who love causing trouble,
but then, they would not sit still and watch education taken beyond their
grasp, they would not sit still and see their ladies become prostitutes so they
can pay their way through school, they would not fold their hands while their
guys become internet fraudsters so they can even have a chance of surviving the
financial demands of the academic community. No, the state government either
starts paying attention to tertiary education or it starts preparing to face
the wrath of OOU students.
These
are days of enlightenment; to underrate students is to toy with failure. OOU
students have moved before, and if the Ogun state government does not begin to
take them serious by reducing the tuition fees and implementing the "the
higher you go, the lower it becomes" method as far as tuition fee is
concerned, OOU students are prepared to move again, and this time, the movement
may be one that will consume the government and jettison any plans the governor
has for 2015.
Education
is germane to Ogun State students and if the current state government is not
prepared to pay attention to it, it should be prepared to leave. Already, the
OOU Students Union has issued a missive warning both the state government and
the university management of the dangers of their actions, and they have
expressed their readiness to lead OOU students in their quest to restore sanity
to OOU.
The whirlwinds of revolt will begin to rock all the corners of this
state until Governor Amosun brings down the hike in tuition fees from the
astronomical fees being paid currently, starts funding the school and
contributes to the infrastructural development of the university.
James Ogunjimi is Coordinator, Committee for the defence
of Human Rights (CDHR), Olabisi Onabanjo University Unit,
Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
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