Parents reject accommodation fee hike at UI

Majority of parents at a stakeholders meeting held on Tuesday to discuss the new fee regime introduced by the University of Ibadan rejected the N30,000 hostel accommodation proposal.

The management had called the meeting over what it called “slight increment’’ for halls of residence and the Alexander hall for students of the College of Medicine.

The institution’s Senate had recommended a hike in hostel accommodation fee from N14, 000 to N30,000 for students on the main campus and N40,000 for those in the College of Medicine effective from the 2017/2018 session.

The premier institution said that it currently spends about N100million every year in providing hostel accommodation, arguing that this was no longer sustainable.

Majority of the parents in their separate remarks, however, said while they were not objecting to increment due to the current economic realities, the proposal by the institution was unacceptable.

Mr Fashina Olusegun, a parent, said while upgrading facilities as being canvassed by the institution was good , the new fee regime was high.

Also speaking, Merssers Robert Obiora, Ayo Akinyemi and Michael Odunrounmbi, agreed that while tertiary education was being underfunded, the university management must ensure that its fees were affordable.

Some students in a peaceful protest at the hall also asked the management to reconsider its recommendations.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, had earlier stated that the institution “is at a point where it is difficult to continue to subsidise the running of the halls of residence and carry out some other academic functions.’’

“This cannot be feasible without a slight adjustment in accommodation charges and in some fees items payable by students in some faculties,’’ he said.

He said only the increase in accommodation fee affected all students who desire to stay in the halls of residence, adding that “residency in the halls of residence is optional.’’

Olayinka said only 8, 222 bed spaces were available for the over 27,000 students, adding that the university is not fully residential.

” The hostel accommodation is for the first and final year students, ” he said.

Prof. Omoniyi Adewoye, a former Vice Chancellor of the university and Chairman of the forum, said university education could not be free if there was to be a turnaround in the education sector.

He, however, urged the parents to critically analyse the situation with a view to appreciating the justification for the increment.