Fee hike: UI student union suspends protest

The University of Ibadan Student Union (UISU) has announced the suspension of its ongoing protest against the recent hike in school fees.

The decision was communicated in an internal memorandum released by the Union’s president, Aweda Bolaji, following a meeting with the university management on Saturday.

The memo stated, “At the meeting with the University Management on the 30th of August, 2024, the following resolutions were reached:

“1. The deadline for the school fees payment, originally set for September 4th, has been extended by three weeks.

“2. The first semester examinations, scheduled to begin on September 2nd, 2024, have also been postponed by three weeks.

“In light of the above resolutions, the union has decided to suspend the protest.”

The union noted that while the decision of the governing council on the school fees cannot be reversed, the students are encouraged to utilize the three-week extension to sort out their fees and prepare for the examinations.

The protest initially began on July 16 and 17, as students demanded a reversal of the fee hike. Following the governing council’s approval of the new fees, the students resumed another round of protests, which started on Thursday and entered its third day.

Earlier today, the university management issued a memo directing all students to vacate their hostels before 2 pm.

At the time of this report, some students have gathered at the Students’ Union building to discuss the next steps.