RUGIPO Students React To Reduction Of Tuition Fees

A month after reduction in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, school fees and barely three days to the Ondo State governorship election, the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has directed the management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo, Ondo (RUGIPO) to reduce the amount paid as tuition fees as a palliative measure to cushion the economic effect of the pandemic on the students.

This was contained in a circular signed by the institution public relations officer of the school, Samuel Ojo, dated October 7th 2020.

The new review, which will take effect from 2020/2021 academic session, indicates that newly admitted National Diploma science students will pay N60,400 while non-science students will pay N57,400.

In the same vein, the newly admitted Higher National Diploma science students are to pay N66,400 while non-science students are to pay N62,000.

In interviews with our reporter, the incumbent SUG president of the institution, Godwin Ehiniyi (aka Comrade Comrade) said the mindset of every governor is toward selfish goals and the said reduction has not been implemented. However, he noted that he trusts that this governor will implement the changes.

Godwin Ehiniyi also used the avenue to sympathise with the students who had dropped out from RUGIPO due to lack of funds for tuition fees.

The Chairman Council of Governors, Oluyede Adeleke Micheal, said the management of RUGIPO have plans towards the reduction of school fees because they want something that will relieve the students, guardians and parents. Moreso, to increase the population of the institution.

“I don’t think the governor can hike it, because the governor is talk and do, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic school fees has to be reduced by 30% before is now again by 15%.”

Oluwafemi Gbemisola an HND1 student from the Department of Banking and Finance said she cannot call it a reduction. In her words: “I can’t even call it reduction because it isn’t at all. Seeing how it was increased in the first instance, this deduction is unbelievable and it’s political from my own perspective.”

She added that no one would reduce school fees few days to an election with the intention for students to believe he’s doing great and there’s a possibility of increasing it back if re-election.

Supporting this, an HND 2 student of Mass Communication and former SUG PRO, Ayodele Tobi Samuel, opined that the change is occasioned by political intent.

In corroborating his point, Ayodele said since the hike in tuition fees, the school had lost a lot of students, citing his department as an example.

“The funniest part of this whole story is him reducing the school fees partly, ‘die-minute’ to the gubernatorial election. It is so evident that he took the action to lure the people of Ondo state to vote him in for the second time.”

The Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students, JCC Ondo axis, Comr. Akintewe Babatunde Afeez (Babtee), while giving his account of the incident in a chat, assured the students that the action is devoid of political intent. He also appreciated the school governing council and the state Governor for the reduction and used the avenue to debunk rumours stating that the reduction is political. 

“We don’t care if it is political or not, our own interest is that it was reduced and that’s all. It’s in our general interest as Nigerian students, a struggle that our younger ones matriculating would benefit from onwards.”

Other students who spoke anonymously appreciated the school governing council and others who made the reduction possible.