By Daud Olatunji
Students at Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic (AAP) in Ogun State are gearing up for a peaceful protest in response to the management’s decision to abruptly raise fees for clearance, certificates, convocation, and various other services.
The revelation, disclosed in a bulletin from the bursary department on January 15, 2024, has shocked final year students, who find the new charges significantly higher than previous years.
According to the notice, ND graduates face a total payment of N75,500, while HND graduates are required to pay N85,000 for clearance, statement of result, certificate, I.T letter, alumni, convocation, and mobilisation fees.
Additional fees for transcript, attestation letter, matriculation, SIWES, late submission of files, and reactivation were also outlined.
Expressing discontent, some students, speaking anonymously, deemed the new fees as unreasonable and unaffordable, especially given the economic challenges and inflation rates in the country.
One student voiced their concern: “Before, we paid not more than N20,000 for all our clearance, N16,000 for convocation, and then for the certificate. But now, they are asking for N25,000 for a certificate and N20,000 for convocation.
We urge the school to suspend these fees and reconsider the inflated clearance fee, taking into account the current economic hardships.”
Many students, in conversations with PLATFORM TIMES, emphasized that they are not opposed to paying for services but want the management to show consideration and compassion.
They express readiness to peacefully protest until their demands are addressed.
Comparing the fee structure between 2019 and 2024, PLATFORM TIMES noted a significant increase. In 2019, the clearance fee for ND was N7,500, and HMD paid N10,000.
Certificate fees were N20,000 for ND and N22,500 for HND, while convocation fees were N16,000 for both. Presently, the clearance fee for ND is N10,000, and for HND is N12,500.
Certificate fees increased to N22,500 for ND and N25,000 for HND, with convocation fees at N20,000 for both.
Students insist that these fees were hiked suddenly without justification and are urging the management to revert to previous rates or, at the very least, reduce them to a reasonable amount.
Efforts to reach the president of the Students Union Government, Azeez Olawale, were unsuccessful. The Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Saidat Adeoye, declined to respond via text, insisting on a phone call.
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