SOLIDARITY WITH THE STUDENTS OF UNILAG, UNIJOS, AND OTHER HIGHER INSTITUTIONS FIGHTING AGAINST FEES INCREMENT
SOLIDARITY WITH THE STUDENTS OF UNILAG, UNIJOS, AND OTHER HIGHER INSTITUTIONS FIGHTING AGAINST FEES INCREMENT
FOR A NATIONWIDE LECTURE BOYCOTT AND MASS PROTESTS NOW!!!
By Damilola Owot
The past few months have been dutiful for the students of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and a host of others. Similarly, higher institutions like the University of Ibadan (UI) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have commenced activities like public meetings, symposia, and congresses as a basis for mobilizing for mass action. All of these developments are responses to further unbearable hardship imposed upon the masses such as the removal of fuel subsidies, increment of interest rates, fee hikes, and victimization of student activists by the different university managements.
Recall that the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went on an 8-month prolonged strike action in 2022 to demand improved funding of public education, among other demands. This industrial action was met with a stiff response by the Buhari-led Federal Government, and even further anti-worker policy was melted on the union via the “no work – no pay” system. This collective struggle of the ASUU, ASUP, and COEASU, backed up by our solidarity support for these unions, is now seriously under threat because the different university managements have astronomically increased the fees beyond what students from working-class homes can afford. Hence, we call for another united action to fight against education commercialization and underfunding.
The UNILAG protest-a-thon
The struggle for the reversal of the pocket-tearing fees imposed by Professor Ogunsola’s- led university management commenced with a public meeting on July 28 where comrades of the Workers and Youths Solidarity Network (WYSN) and Save Public Education Campaign (SPEC) joined several other UNILAG students under the umbrella of Students Solidarity Group Against Fees Hike to discuss the way forward. The meeting metamorphosed into a congress and then a meeting of the representatives of the Students Solidarity Group against Fee Hike, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the UNILAG elected faculty presidents, and the University management.
Despite the appeal and promise, the university management adamantly maintained her stand and insisted the fee must be paid as stipulated. The solidarity group also organized several online activities to press home demands. Having exhausted all means of consultation, the Akokites took to the streets to demand a reversal in the fee imposed on them by the university management. The students adopted many slogans, such as #FeeMustFall, #SaveUnilagStudents, #LetThePoorBreathe, and so on. The protest embarked upon the students in front of the university gate on the 6th of
September 2023 recorded heavy militarization of the protest venue – a characteristic of the Nigerian oppressor system – and subsequently the arrest of the protest leaders, Giwa of NANS (National PRO), Femi Adeyeye, Philip Olatunwo and Ayodele Aduwo who were marched to the Panti Police Station, Adekunle, Yaba in Lagos State on the order of the Vice Chancellor. The heavily armed military men also attempted to disperse the protesters by firing teargas canisters.
This arrest did not deter the peaceful protesters who continued to regroup and remained steadfast in their demand for a total reversal of the hiked fee. The men of the Nigerian Police later bowed to pressure and released the arrested student leaders after the protests and sustained pressure. The fact the protesters remained steadfast in their demand and continued to regroup met the university management as a shock and immediately locked up the school gate in fear. This perseverance is also one of the strongholds of the protest on the 6th.
The group retired to the drawing table and proceeded to a press conference held on the 8th of September, 2023. According to the NANS National PRO, Giwa Temitope, the press conference was aimed at addressing the “repression of the students' protest at the University of Lagos as well as the way forward”. The group gave the University Management a 48-hour ultimatum to revert the fees or face further disruption in activities.
The UNILAG students took the next line of action by embarking on a prolonged, total, indefinite protest, adopting the popular Guinness World Record slogan – Protest-a-thon – as a slogan for the action. This protest-a-thon took a new shape and commenced on the 13th of September, 2023, right inside the school premises. Simultaneously, the protest was held on social media platforms and attracted thousands of supporters nationwide. The management of the university felt the heat and was forced to re-convey another meeting with the students on Thursday, 14th of September, 2023. The outcome of the meeting was a paltry, insignificant reduction in the fees. For instance, there was a 20% reduction in obligatory fees for returning students, a #10,000 reduction for fresh students, a #5,000 reduction in utility charges, a #3,000 reduction in convocation fees, and about 50% reduction in the hostel fees. Overall, this would mean that the over 500% increment has been reduced to about 350% of the initial fee.
While this could be considered as a “win” for some, it is still quite an exorbitant fee for many, especially the children of poor families and those who fend for themselves. To us in SPEC, the management has only used this negotiation to arrive at her initial intended fee. The percentage that was removed was initially so that it could be removed when the students eventually revolted. Hence, we believe that the struggle is not yet over. The students of UNILAG must not believe this is a win for them. The university management has a way of retrieving this percentage back into their pockets through the introduction of unofficial fees. Students must also be ready to link their struggle to anti-victimization so that none of them will be victimised and used as a scapegoat when school finally resumes. Therefore, we propose a well-mobilized congress of the UNILAG students to debate the recent developments to agree on the next line of action.
FEES INCREMENT CONTINUE
Fee increments continue ranging from both federal and state universities, this resulted in mass protests by the students against the fee hike in their different campuses. The management of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Ambrosi Ali University, Ekpoma, University of Ibadan, University of Jos, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife Has also increased fees beyond what the poor can afford. The resistance against the fees in AAU has resulted in the closing of the school. Ever since the announcement of this new fee, the students of UNIJOS have protested for two days even though there was an attempt to break the protest by security. Students of UI and OAU have begun to grumble as they look for means of demanding a reversal of the pocket-tearing fee. Congresses have been called, and action has been planned. No doubt the increment has also affected the Federal Government Colleges (FGC). Many of the students will be resuming with new fees as they resume. It is time to step up and fight against fee increments from Federal Government schools to secondary.
We need united action to fight fee increment
The continued attacks on ordinary people need coordinated action, the students of UNIABUJA, Federal Polytechnic Oko, UNIJOS, UNILAG, and AAU have demonstrated that struggle pays but with a wildfire of the fees it is possible what we need to defeat the fees increment regime is united actions of students, parents and workers. The coming days are expected to feature more student activities than ever before. With the trend of fee hikes in public tertiary institutions nationwide, one thing is sure – a network of interconnected struggles will bring the whole system to a standstill. We could witness another #ENDASUUSTRIKE protest when the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other student activist groups shut down highways and national airports.
As we have seen the wave in which protests took in UNIJOS, AAU, UNICAL and UNILAG, with the potential protests in UI and OAU, linked with the mass actions of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC). The present economic condition of the country is enough to mobilise for a wider mass protest, but the National Association of Nigeria Students need to wake up from slumber and unite the students now to build a fight back. It is the time for action like the lecture boycott and mass protests to fight the Tinubu-led anti-people’s government.
The argument for student loans and lack of money to fund education are lies, and it is evident how our politicians and political officerholders are living provocating styles of life. While millions of ordinary people are subjected to untold hardship. We need unity to fight now than ever before. We must also struggle for a working people political alternative with a socialist programme, it is only when we have a working people government that our collective resource can be used to meet the needs of the majority and not the greed of the few.