Unilorin graduates angry with school over graduation fees hike

Graduands of the University of Ilorin are lamenting as they are asked to pay a sum of #20,800 as convocation charges for the 2018 convocation ceremony billed to hold on the 23rd of October at the University’s Main Stadium.

This is an increment of over #8,000 from what graduands were asked to pay last year. Last year, graduands paid 12,000 with a breakdown of #2000 for convocation gown, #2000 for an order of proceeding, #5500 for a transcript, #1100 for a muffler, #400 for convocation VCD, and #1000 as administrative charges.

This year, apart from the #2000 each to be paid for convocation gown and order of proceedings, #5500 for transcript and #400 for VCD, which remain unchanged, students have to pay an increased sum of #1400 for muffler, #2500 for certificate folder, #5000 for certificate and #2000 as administrative charges.

It should be noted that last year, graduands were not billed for certificates, yet they were given.

It is worthy of note that the just-concluded academic session saw the institution embark on a central project binding system, which final year students were initially asked to pay the sum of #2500 for but was reduced to #2000 after many complaints, a sum which is still inflated as it costs #400 to bind a copy of the project, totalling #1600 for four copies. Business owners in the institution have also complained of being deprived of the opportunity of making money from project binding. It should also be known that the programme will now hold on a day and at the Main Stadium, meaning less cost incurred.

Aggrieved graduands have taken to Twitter to express their displeasure at the ridiculous price with the hashtag #UnilorinDaylightRobbery and #UnilorinEnoughisEnough, the latter being a resurrected hashtag which began during complaints about the state of hostel toilets and bathrooms. Graduands are bitter that the amount is even higher than the national minimum wage and that some of them sponsor themselves to school.

Graduands of the institution still await a nod to begin their NYSC registration as they get notified that ‘the institution has not made the mandatory document submission’ whenever they try to initiate registration. They hope that their cries are heard and the amount is reduced as they await their registration and mobilization, hoping that their preferred states are still on the list.