STUDENT PROTEST IN UINVERSITY OF IBADAN....................

The authority of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan have ordered its students to vacate their hostel following their protest against what they described as unfair introduction of a professional training fee by the school. The students alleged that the fee, together with an increase in accommodation levy, was capable of making some of them abandon their medical programme. They said the authority recently introduced the professional fee ranging from N75,000 to N100,000 per student, while accommodation fee in the hostel was raised to N40,000 per student. The institution’s senate had approved an increase in various fees paid by the students while new levies were introduced. Students in the school will now pay between N30, 000 and N40, 000 as accommodation fee per bed space as opposed to the former N14, 000. At the Alexander Brown Hall, UCH, Ibadan, medical students were seen leaving the hostel on Sunday, April 8, as a result of a directive from the school that they should vacate the hostel after staging a protest against the new fees. The letter, which was signed by the institution’s Registrar, Olujinmi Olukoya, said the Academic Board of the College of Medicine, UI considered the possible security threat that the students’ agitation against the new fees could pose and recommended the hostel closure. The letter said that the vice-chancellor, Idowu Olayinka, had approved the board recommendation and directed that the students should leave the hostel before 12 noon on Saturday. However, a letter signed by the President, Medical Students Association in the university, Olakorede Jacob, and the General Secretary, Yahya Bashir, frowned on the letter of closure of the hostel, saying that it was not written on a letterhead of the institution or dated. They also claimed that the letter was not signed by the new Registrar, Mrs. Olubunmi Faluyi. Olatunji Oladejo, the director of public communication, confirmed that the students had been ordered by a letter from the registrar to vacate the hostel pending the review of the situation.