SYL Condemns Osun State College For Fee Hike, Student Suspensions

The Socialist Youth League opposes the fee hike and suspension of student leaders at Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun.

The Socialist Youth League has strongly criticized the increase in school fees at Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, and the suspension of student leaders who opposed the decision.

The group condemned the college management for imposing financial hardship on students and victimizing those who stood against it.

According to SYL, the college administration introduced a mandatory N20,000 fee for full-time students just 14 days before their semester exams, scheduled for March 10. This decision was made without consulting students or their representatives, even as many students were already struggling to pay their first-semester fees due to the harsh economic situation.

Efforts by student leaders to negotiate an extension of the first-semester payment deadline were allegedly dismissed by the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. Bidemi Adeboye. When students resorted to peaceful protests against the fee hike, the college responded by suspending 18 student union leaders and representatives indefinitely.

The management justified its actions by claiming the protests threatened the academic calendar and campus peace. However, SYL described this reasoning as an attempt to shift focus from the real issue. The group argued that no property was damaged and that the administration’s actions violated students’ rights to freely express their grievances.

SYL stated that this incident was part of a larger problem, where institutions resort to arbitrary fee increases instead of seeking sustainable public funding. It noted that education should not be treated as a luxury for the wealthy but as a fundamental right that supports national development. The group vowed to continue resisting the commercialization of education and called for urgent action.

SYL made the following demands:

– Immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all suspended students.

– Cancellation of the newly introduced fees for full-time students.

– Extension of the deadline for first-semester fee payments.

– Replacement of the Dean of Student Affairs, whom they accuse of failing in his duties.

– A more inclusive decision-making process that genuinely considers student input.

The SYL National Coordinator, ANI Kayode Somtochukwu, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to standing with students and ensuring that their rights are protected.

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