JAF DECLARES TOTAL SUPPORT FOR OOU STUDENTS!

 CONDEMNS THE CLOSURE OF OOU 

DEMANDS the Reduction of the School Fees to N50,000, its Implementation from the Current Session & Adequate Funding of the University!!

-          Immediate & Unconditional Re-Opening of OOU & Democratic Operation of the OOUSUG!!!

1.       The Joint Action Front (JAF) declares its TOTAL SUPPORT for the demand by the students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Ago Iwoye on the Government of Ogun State for a further reduction in school fees to N50,000 across board.

2.       JAF is in total agreement with the demands by the OOU Students’ Union that the fee reduction regime announced by the Ogun State Government is too minimal to translate into any fundamental relief to the vast majority of students, who are from the background of the poor and working class families. For instance, the medical students are still expected to pay N176, 596 while students of the Faculty of Arts would be paying N81,112.

3.       Also, JAF considers as fraudulent the pronouncement by the Ogun State Government that the new fees regime will commence in the next academic session. We see this as a desperate attempt by the Ibikunle Amosun anti-poor Government to hoodwink the mass of Ogun State voters in the wake of the 2015 general elections.

4.       Therefore, we strongly support the demand by the students for the fees reduction to N50,000 across board in OOU and this should take effect from the current session.

5.       JAF is equally of the view that all the students who have lost their studentship on the account of the inability to pay the outrageous fees, which was effected by the infamous and deceptive Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) Government of Ogun State in February 2008, should be recalled immediately.

6.       We should recall that the OGD government had imposed the fees increment regime on 1^st February 2008 through a coercive and fraudulent agreement signed by his Government, OOU Students’ Union and the Vice Chancellor AND Registrar of OOU. Parts of the anti-poor and wicked agreement reads: “That the issue of increase in school fees is inevitable. That the increase should be gradual with an annual auto inflation index of 20% effective from 2008/2009 academic session. That fresh men who are indigenes of Ogun State should pay 30% of the recommended unit cost of training an undergraduate, while non-indigenes should pay 40%. Stallites in 200 level are to pay 20% while non-indigenes are to pay 30%. Stallites from 300 level and above are to pay 10% while non-indigenes are to pay 20%”.

7.       We in JAF hold that it is possible, on the account of huge resources of the society, for university education to be made accessible for students from poor and working class background but for the anti-poor neo-liberal capitalist policies being operated by Government at all levels irrespective of their political parties. This has been confirmed by the TOTAL REVERSAL in fees (from N193000 and N350,000 to N25,000 across board) in the Lagos State University (LASU).

8.       It should be stressed that it was the RESISTANCE by LASU Students, JAF, ASUU LASU and other staff unions in LASU that compelled the Governor Raji Fashola Lagos Government to capitulate shamelessly to the REVERSAL of the wicked fees hike.

9.       JAF wishes to reiterate the Ogun State Government should not only reduce the fees to N50,000 but also adequately fund the OOU and all other levels of education in the state, in order to ensure that the mass of poor and working class access functional education as a RIGHT.

10.    We call on staff unions – ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT in OOU to actively support the struggle of the students.

11.    We also urge the leadership of the students union not to enter into any rotten compromise with the Ogun State Government and the Management of the OOU, but should remain steadfast as victory is achievable. The students union should be prepared to organise a series of mass activities to popularize their demands among the populace and compel the government to accede to the demands.

12.    JAF insists that the Resistance Should Continue and Demands:

· Reduction of the School Fees to N50,000 and its Implementation from the Current Session

· Adequate Funding of the OOU and all other levels of education in the state.

· Immediate and Uunconditional Re-Opening of  OOU

· Democratic Operation of the OOUSUG

· Academic Freedom of the Staff unions and students in decision making on academic standards and democratic running of the university.

DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN!

Dr. Oladipo Fashina                               Comrade Abiodun Aremu

JAF Chairperson                                     JAF Secretary