Students of Osun State University {UNOSUN} Osogbo yesterday staged a protest against attempt by the school management to prevent those who have not paid their school fees from writing the on-going second semester examination.

The students had assembled at their campus gate at about 7.00 a.m. and shut the gate against lecturers and other workers of the institution.

Some of the students were yet to pay their fees for the session while others have paid in part.

The Guardian learnt that when examination began on Monday, some students including those in their final year were chased out of the examination halls and prevented from writing their papers by the management.

Consequently, the students mobilised themselves yesterday and boycotted the examination demanding that the management should revert the policy of ‘’no-payment-of-school fees-no-examination’’.

Some of the placards during the peaceful demonstration read: “Student joint campus committee, Osun State University. We emphatically say no to anti-students policies. No to ‘no school fees, no exam policy’, poor students welfare and infrastructure.”

Some of the students who spoke with The Guardian on the issue said students had been paying their fees promptly blaming the problem on the current economic crunch and inability of some state governments to pay their parents’ salaries as the reason for delay in paying their fees.

They claimed most of those who were prevented from writing their examinations on Monday were in their final year, adding that the action might give the affected students carry over.

While the protests was going on, some lecturers made attempts to persuade the students to open the school gate but it was futile as they stood their grounds.

In a swift reaction, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Oguntola Jelil Alamu, claimed that “the students only gathered for mutual deliberation with management on the issue.”

He told journalists that the six campuses that make up the university remained peaceful in spite of the protest.

He added: “Examination commenced on all our campuses on Monday, July 25, 2016. Some students who have not been able to pay tuition fees gathered early Tuesday morning for dialogue with the authority on mutual resolution and issues were resolved amicably. The campuses are peaceful.

“The students appeal to management to consider them for eligibility to sit for exams. They said their inability to pay was due to the general economic situation. The university management is not oblivious of the situation.”

Meanwhile, an internal memorandum issued by the management yesterday stated that the students would be allowed to write their examinations.

Signed by the school’s Acting Registrar, G. A. Shittu, it is entitled: “Granting opportunity to write examinations pending payment of school fees.”

It said: “I write to inform you that the Acting Vice Chancellor has graciously approved in the interest of graduating students that all students who have not paid their school fees be given opportunity to write the 2015/2016 Rain Semester Examination.”

“The opportunity is to enable the final year students to meet the mobilisation time for the NYSC. By the memorandum, all students are now allowed to write examinations. There will be a meeting with the representatives of the students on how their fees will be paid.”