From Ajasa Adekunle
The siege mounted by the students of Olabisi Onabanjo University entered day 2 on Friday with the students vowing to continue the shut down until Governor Amosun acceded to their demands.
The students in their hundreds blocked major roads leading to the governor’s office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta and later assembled at Kuto junction leading to the state secretariat.
The protest began on Thursday when the the students rejected the school fees reduction announced by the state government on Tuesday.
The governor had said the reduction would take place in the next academic session. The students dismissed the reduction as political saying they had been on the struggle for the past three years.
They further stated that the reduction in fees should take immediate effect from 2013/2014 academic session as against 2014/2015 session.
Some of the inscription on their placards read,’No reduction in 2013/2014 no vote’, ‘Amosun reduce our school fees’, ‘SIA must obey now’, ‘Bring down our fees’
The students also embarked on solidarity song, as motorists also watched helplessly following the take over of the road by the protesting students.
Speaking with journalists, President of the University Students Union, Olusegun Ifade said, they had been on the demands since 2011 but ignored by government.
The students leader vehemently opposed the gestures, arguing it was Greek gift coming at a wrong time, because election is fast approaching.
“Even if its going to take us one month or more than that, we are not going to leave the governor’s office premises until the governor attends to us. Enough of deceit, why the political school fees, when election is forthcoming? No we shall not accept the dubious offer.
‘It is a political reduction instead of proper reduction. Our demand is simple, we want breakdown of our tuition fees. Also we want the reduction to be implemented in this session, its simple as ABC.
If the governor realised need for reduction, why must governor say the implementation must be from next session, what about this session? What we want is that the reduction must be implemented in this academic session,” Ifade said.
Security operatives were seen ensuring the protest is not hijacked by hoodlums pretending as students.
