Nigeria’s Students Upset as UNILAG Issues N135,000 Receipts, After Charging N525,000 For Bed Space

Cursory: Students at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) are protesting against what they claim is the institution charging N525,000 for a bed space in the hostels, despite officially announcing lower fees. This revelation has caused an uproar among students who feel they are being unfairly charged. The university had officially reduced fees for various charges, including hostel fees, but some students allege that there’s a hidden fee known as “adoption money” of N390,000, making the total cost of a bed space N525,000. The students are demanding transparency and an end to such practices.

Students at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have expressed concerns about the institution charging them N525,000 for a bed space in the university’s hostels. This issue has arisen amidst protests by students against significant increases in their school fees.

According to one of the #FeesMustFall organizers, Adeyeye Olorunfemi, the university officially issues receipts for only N135,000, but students are being charged N525,000 for a bed space in Sodeinde Hall. This has raised questions about the transparency of the university’s fee structure.

Olorunfemi said “Our investigation has shown that it’s the same pattern of stealing. N135,000 on official receipt, but N525,000 paid for a “bed space” at Sodeinde Hall.

“It’s N525,000 for a bed space not land, not a mini-flat apartment, not even a full bunk. A space for a student mattress. This is elevated stealing supervised by the DSA, sanctioned by the VCs. It did not start yesterday. We found out that it’s been going on for almost 3 years

UNILAG had previously announced a reduction in utility charges for all categories of students from N20,000 to N15,000, according to a public notice signed by its Head of the Communication Unit, Adejoke Alaga-lbraheem.

He said: “Utility Charges for all categories of students was reduced to N15,000 from N20,000.

“The obligatory fees for new undergraduate students was reviewed from N126,325 to N116,325 for courses without Lab/Studio and N176,325 to N166,325 for courses with Lab/Studio.

“Hostels fees were reviewed as follows: for undergraduate hostels in Akoka and Yaba Campuses, the fees was reduced to N43,000 from N90,000. For hostels in Idi-Araba campus, the fees was reduced to N65,000:00 from N120,000. The fees for Sodeinde Hall was reduced to N135,000 from N250,000.”

The notice also indicated that the University’s Vice Chancellor would initiate the process of restoring student union activities within the institution.

This decision was made during a lengthy meeting that included university management members such as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services), Professor Lucian Chukwu, the Dean of Students Affairs, Professor Musa Obalola, and Professor Adebisi Sunday, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC). The meeting lasted for more than five hours.

Meanwhile, a student of the university whose identity was not revealed said, “I sent a member of staff to apply then and the former DSA told the woman to tell me that l will pay N210,000 (extra N150,000 for indigent students). When she told me, I laughed. Myself is an indigent student. So I told her to tell him l don’t have any extra N150,000 to pay. Then he said she should tell me that they’ll consider me only if there’s leftover space.

“They later gave me the Sodeinde and I paid only N60,000 as it should be, only for me to later realise that almost all my friends at Sodeinde then actually paid N210,000. I mentioned it sometime in 2021 or so on the former DSA’s Telegram group when he claimed Sodeinde is N60,000, the man deleted my post.”
Another student said, “Actually, I was planning to see the DSA face to face but he wasn’t around, so I met the Secretary and explained what I came for.

“Next thing she said was “Bring your parents, you can’t get it yourself. They have to be the one to sign. I told her I could afford it and pay by myself. She told me it’s N525,000 total.

“N525,000? Is it not N135,000 that you people wrote for Information Flash? The same Sodeinde that they told us is N135,000, to get it, the requirement is – you must adopt a student, and to adopt, you will pay N390,000.

“So to get the Sodeinde, you would pay N390,000 plus the official N135,000, making a total of N525,000.”
Adeyeye Olorunfemi, said that currently, “A number of these hostels have been privatised and turned to “suites”, pushing out poor and struggling students to the cold and to the voracious sharks waiting for them in the real estate business around campus.”

According to him, “It’s also laughable because in the list of palliatives rolled out by the Management, this adoption was also stated there, but they said it would be done by alumni.

“Why then has this criminal adoption been happening even before the increment in fees? There’s no other name to describe this than Stealing. Pure Authority Stealing.

“The N150,000 “goes” to the indigent students no one knows. To confirm to you that it is a racket, if you know your way around, you won’t pay the N150,000 adoption money.

“Despite all these rackets, the same VC is crying on TV that she loves the students and that the University will shut down if they don’t increase fees, they need to pay NEPA.

“The allocation to those indigent students that no one, including the sponsor knows, has been increased “due to economic realities” to N390,000. So as you approach the Student Affairs for a bedspace at that hall, you are told the total sum is N525,000 despite them announcing N135,000 to the world; an amount that is already outrageous- increased by over 100 percent (N60,000 to N135,000).

“The whole world needs to beam their torchlight to the extortion and criminal activities going on in UNILAG. We want to assure you that we won’t rest until all the perpetrators of this crime spend some time in jail.”

Source: Saharareporter

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