SPN Ile-Ife condemns the outrageous fee increment at OAU College of Health Sciences!

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Ile-Ife condemns the recent increment at the College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. This increment in form of a professional fee being processed by the leadership of the college and the management of the University is a gross betrayal to the right to education, which is guaranteed in the Nigerian constitution. According to the resolution of the meeting of the Association of Provosts of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria (APCOM) on Thursday, 13 September, 2018, the increment is introduced in OAU to follow the University of Ibadan model that has seen to the dropping out of many students of the college. The increment which was introduced in form of a professional fee of about 75,000 and 85,000 naira is the height of insensitivity by the APC Federal Government and her political appointees in the governing council who consented to this decision. This is in a context of corruption within the University management, as all of the past increments have not resulted into better living and learning welfare for the students of the school. 

This increment could only imply the continuation of the drive of the APC government to turn public education to a for-profit business, to enrich themselves and their cronies in continuation of the policies of the PDP, when public education budgets were diverted to build private universities for President and Vice-President alike. For example, the presidential candidate of the PDP, in the forthcoming elections, owns one of the costliest private university in Nigeria and is a champion of privatized and commercialised education. 

While health workers are complaining of low payment and overworking because most of the health institutions are understaffed and underfunded, the government is set to ensure that these potential medical practitioners that are supposed to add quality and quantity to the positive reform of the sector are about to be sent out of school with this exploitative fee. This is a federal government that has refused to pay a living minimum wage to workers, including health workers in the country. This is coming when Nigerian hospitals have become graveyards for unavailability of facilities, enough workers and enough infrastructures. In a country where an 18,000 naira minimum wage is not fully and regularly paid, how does any reasonable government expect parents to pay a total of about 118,000 naira for their children and wards in school.

Just recently, similar increment was executed at the University of Ibadan and resisted by her Health students, but unfortunately unsuccessfully, because of the lack of resolute and democratic organization of the student body. It was in this same sly manner that the UI management increased the fees of her unsuspecting medical students. It is necessary that students of the college organize democratically and independently of the college management to mobilize themselves for Congresses, lecture boycotts, and rallies to reject this increment, and remain resolute to achieve victory. 

This increment is also a warning sign for all other students of the institution of a looming increment, most probably in the next session in continuation of these ruthless policies. Just in 2014, the University management increased the fees of the students of the school by a whooping 330%. That increment led to a lot of students dropping out, and some turning to crime and illicit jobs to survive the increment. The prevalence of theft on the campus is a product of the crime upswing, which could have been curbed had the University not chosen to repress the independent and democratic organization of students within the students union. We, on this note demand the immediate unconditional democratic reinstatement of the students union.
For us in the SPN, we believe the education sector can only fulfil it's aim under a socialist arrangement of the society. This means that quality education will be free and fully funded by the government, in a nationalised economy under the democratic planning and control of workers, for the advancement of the society. To achieve this aim the SPN floats a manifesto of proper funding of education, building of more education infrastructures (lecture theaters and hostels) through direct labour public works system, drastic reduction of class size, and the mass employment of more lecturers and teachers. This would serve as a means to drastically input quality human resources into the economy.

OUR DEMANDS:

THE TOTAL REVERSAL OF THE PROFESSIONAL FEE BEING TACTICALLY IMPOSED ON THE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE

THE IMMEDIATE UNCONDITIONAL AND DEMOCRATIC REINSTATEMENT OF THE STUDENTS UNION

THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF EMERGENCY FUNDS TO THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SECTOR BY THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT

THE PUBLISHING OF THE DETAILED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY AT LARGE FOR ALL OF THE STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS TO SEE.

THE DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT OF OUR EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS TO INCLUDE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF STUDENTS, WORKERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PROFESSIONAL BODIES.

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SPN is a political party formed by socialists, activists and genuine change-seekers to progress the struggle for a better society. SPN stands for free and quality education and healthcare, affordable housing scheme, end to the corrupt and fraudulent contract system among others. SPN is a party for workers, students and the masses!