Ekiti varsity shut as students stage protest over late registration fee

The closure stemmed from the protests staged by the students over the imposition of the N5,000 levy for “late registration”.

Tosin Ajuwon • April 11, 2023

Ekiti State University, (EKSU) and Students protest [Punch Newspapers]

Authorities of the Ekiti State University, (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, have shut down the campus for two weeks following a protest by students of the state-owned institution.

“The Vice-Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor Edward Olanipekun, on behalf of the university Senate, has approved the suspension of academic activities on campus for two weeks with effect from today, April 11,” an excerpt from a statement issued by the University spokesperson, Bode Olofinmuagun, read on Tuesday.

The closure stemmed from the protests staged by the students over the imposition of the N5,000 levy for “late registration” slammed on the university’s undergraduates by the authorities.

The students had in the early hours of Tuesday blocked the campus main gates and also prevented the entry of human and vehicular movement.

Led by the Students Union Government (SUG) President, Dotun Ogunsanya, the angry students accused the authority of not being sensitive to their plights.

Peoples Gazette gathered that the authorities of the state-owned university had earlier announced that any late tuition payment would attract an N10,000 penalty.

The students, however, kicked and accused the university management of unnecessary taxation.

This, according to sources on the campus, forced the school authority to reduce the fine to N5,000.

Despite the reduction, the students were said to have again expressed their dissatisfaction, resulting in the protest.

“No to penalty fees”, one of the protesting students said during the Tuesday demonstration at the front of the campus.

Speaking further, Mr Olofinmuagun said the university decided to shut down the campus to avoid any student unrest.

He noted that management has also announced the suspension of all academic activities in the institution for the period.

Mr Olofinmuagun, however, asked parents to immediately invite their children back home since the university had temporarily been shut.

“Any student found wandering around the university premises does so at his/her own risk,” he added in the statement obtained by the Gazette.

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