The last may not have been heard from many students of the University of Lagos who are currently distressed at the turn of events occasioned by the fee hike, inadequate and subpar accommodation facilities and rise in cost of living on campus amongst other sundry charges.
Students in the Department of Chemistry today, December 11th, 2023 boycotted a hands-on, practical session over a breach of directive between the department authorities and students, a source revealed.
On the back drop of an increase in the obligatory fees from #21,000 to #140,750 and #170,250 respectively for students who offer laboratory specialized courses, the department had earlier passed a memo widely stating that laboratory manuals or materials are no longer for sale. In a line by line analysis of the new fees payable, it was observed that laboratory charges have been pegged at #40,000 as part of the fee increments. “Why ask us to buy manuals and consumables against after we’ve paid 40,000 for lab?”, students are lamenting.
“This was not what they promised. We are still being forced to buy reagents despite the crazy fee hike”
For reasons unknown to students in the department, a fresh memo claiming to be resolutions from a management meeting with the Deans stated that laboratory manuals are now available for sale at the University Bookshop and students must purchase the manual to be allowed access to the laboratory.
This gestapo move by the University management has been greeted with widespread criticisms by affected students across the University who are still struggling to settle down into the already gruelling academic session.
While the UNILAG authorities have claimed that it was necessary to increase fees and other charges to guarantee the smooth running of the University, the effects of this bold claim are yet to be experienced by students who are now agitating and beckoning on the management to uphold its own end of the bargain or risk facing a popular students uprising in the days to come.