NANS threatens shutdown of Ado Poly over tuition fee increase

By Boye Oyeyemi

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to stage a mass protest and shut down the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, if the institution’s management fails to reverse its recent increase in tuition fees.

The student body said the planned action would follow the expiration of a five-day ultimatum issued to the management, insisting that students would not accept what it described as an unjustified financial burden.

The Ekiti State Joint Campus Committee of NANS disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Ado-Ekiti and jointly signed by its Chairman, Yekeen Toheeb; General Secretary, Olumorin Folafoluwa; and Public Relations Officer, Ekundayo Goodluck.

The association accused the Rector, Dr. Temitope John Alake, and the management of introducing the new charges without adequate consultation with student representatives, describing the decision as insensitive and undemocratic.

NANS also criticised the management for holding discussions with the newly elected Students’ Union Government executives only after the association intervened and issued its ultimatum. It questioned the alleged exclusion of the outgoing union leadership from earlier consultations.

Although the association commended the incoming SUG executives for agreeing to engage the management, it warned that their willingness to negotiate should not be interpreted as acceptance of the fee increase or a withdrawal of the students’ demands.

It further maintained that dialogue without a concrete commitment to restore the previous tuition rates would not stop the planned protest, stressing that its ultimatum remained in force.

NANS warned that failure to meet its demand would compel it to mobilise students for a peaceful shutdown of the institution, adding that it would not allow what it described as administrative manoeuvres to undermine its campaign against the increase.