UI explains fees hike as Akande chairs governing council inaugural meeting

The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan, under the chairmanship of Chief Adebisi Akande, former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and former Governor of Osun State, has held its inaugural meeting.

The meeting was attended by all statutory members, except one appointee of the Federal Government who was out of the country.

The Council considered some pertinent issues already awaiting it.

It reviewed the schedule of levies for newly admitted and returning undergraduate students in the 2023/2024 academic session and approved it as recommended by the Senate of the university.

The Council advised students who were yet to pay and complete their registration exercises to do so on or before Wednesday, September 4, 2024, to enable departments to download lists of registered students in preparation for the first-semester examinations.

The Council sympathised with the students but noted that the review was necessary in view of the current economic realities and the University’s commitment to ensuring quality teaching and research.

It directed that students be encouraged to take advantage of the students’ loan fund (NELFUND) and various scholarships instituted by the University and other well-meaning philanthropists to support indigent students.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Chief Akande, had earlier written a letter to the Registrar to direct that all payments due to him as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council be applied for the benefit of deserving undergraduate students of the University who are studying Science courses in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology only.

Akande said he considered his appointment as the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Council of the University of Ibadan a national call to service from which he does not intend to earn any remuneration.

He said his allowances should be kept as a form of endowment for the award of scholarships or any other form of awards to cover the cost of accommodation and other financially approved levies charged to deserving students.

Akande added that the Adebisi Akande Foundation would augment any shortfall arising from the awards to prevent any of the beneficiaries of the endowment from becoming stranded.

All the principal officers of the university, the Provosts of the College of Medicine, and the Postgraduate College also attended the inaugural meeting.