By Yusuf AKINPELU

THE management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) says it is seeking “amicable and speedy” ways of resolving the recent crisis caused by the increment in the University’s tuition fees.

Students of the University went on a rampage on Monday to protest what they described as a humongous increment in school fees.

Following the protests, LAUTECH’s Registrar, Jacob Agboola issued a statement stating that the University management was seeking amicable solutions to the problem.

“At an emergency meeting held today, the Expanded Management Committee decided that all staff and students be intimated with the efforts being made to ensure that the students’ protest, which arose from the announcement of the new tuition fee regime, does not impair the peace and work of the University any further,” Agboola stated.

“To this end, necessary consultations with stakeholders, including the Students Union, are being held. The hope of an amicable and speedy resolution of the matter is very high.”

On Monday, Agboola had issued a statement in which he conveyed to the students that there has been an increment in the University’s fees.

The statement noted that both fresh and older students who are citizens of Oyo and Osun States (joint owners of the institution) will now pay the sum of N200,000, and no longer N120,000 for freshmen and N72,500 for older students.

Also, fresh and older students from other states, who hitherto paid the sum of N150,000 and N63,500 respectively, will now pay N250,000.

The rioting students burnt tires in front of the University gate, bore placards, and sang solidarity songs on Monday as they protested the fee hike. Eventually, men of the Nigeria Police were deployed to disperse the protesters.

#nototuitionhike #savelautech This is totally uncalled for!@YomiShogunle @segalink @APCNigeria @MBuhari https://t.co/LNtB3MJBtq

— IG:@_theloba (@_theloba) October 17, 2018

One of the students of LAUTECH tweeted: “This is pure wickedness. 200k and 250k hike overnight? Education should be affordable for the populace! If you can’t make it easier, why make it much more difficult?”

Another, whose Twitter username read Ojoogun Fasilat, also wrote: “LAUTECH’s decision to increase its fees by 200 percent lacks any moral justification and logical explanation, taking into consideration the present economic woes most parents currently experience in their respective states.”