Students, Parents Are Not Protesting Mattress Directive, UNILAG Clarifies Hostel Intricacy, Actual Fee
The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka has debunked the report that parents are protesting over the directive to students residing on campus to resume with their mattresses.
Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, head of the information unit of the university, told BusinessDay in chat on Thursday, October 19, 2023, that there was nothing like that, though she confirmed the fact that students were asked to resume with their mattresses and that it was for health reasons.
We asked the students to bring their mattresses and other beddings for health reasons. It has been the practice for some time. So, it is not a new thing for the students.
Besides, the university is working on the renovation of the various hostels. Some of them are likely to be fully renovated before the students resume,” she said.
Alaga-Ibraheem further explained that some of the renovation works might not be completed before the students resume; however, she assured that the university management will continue works on the concerned hostels.
“We are working to make the hostels conducive for the students,” she explained.
She said the management has demonstrated its empathy with the students’ and by extension parents’ challenges by slashing hostel fees and other related fees to ensure that their stay on campus is comfortable.
As a result of the meeting between the university management and students’ leaders on Thursday, September 14, 2023, the hostel fee was slashed thus;
For undergraduate hostels in Akoka and Yaba campuses, the fee were reduced to ₦43, 000:00 from ₦90,000:00. For Hostels in the Idi-Araba campus, the fees were reduced to ₦65,000:00 from ₦120,000:00.
The fee for Sodeinde hall was reduced to ₦135,000:00 from ₦250,000:00,” she noted.
Kazeem Alarape, a student at the Akoka campus of the university, disclosed to a BusinessDay reporter that there was neither protest nor intention to protests.
“There were no protests and no intention to protest because there is nothing strange about the instruction,” he said.
This contradicts a report that parents are protesting the university management’s directive for students to resume with mattresses.
Some parents and students were reported to have complained that with the new fee regime introduced by the university, bedding ought to be provided by the school.
source : Businessday newspaper