In a disturbing turn of events, the University of Lagos (UniLag) has been accused of not only charging the sum of N525,000 for a bed space in its hostels but curiously issuing receipts that indicate payment of N135,000.
This is on the heels of controversies and protests by students of the university against enormous increase in their school fees.
Students said that the charging of N525,000 for bed space by the management of the university which was disclosed by one of the #FeesMustFall conveners, Adeyeye Olorunfemi, in a statement on Tuesday, was a backdoor arrangement as the university does not issue a receipt for N525,000 but only for N135,000 it officially announced.
Olorunfemi said “Our investigation has shown that it’s the same pattern of stealing. N135,000 on official receipt, but N525,000 paid for a “bed space” at Sodeinde Hall.
“It’s N525,000 for a bed space not land, not a mini-flat apartment, not even a full bunk. A space for a student mattress. This is elevated stealing supervised by the DSA, sanctioned by the VCs. It did not start yesterday. We found out that it’s been going on for almost 3 years.”
The UNILAG had in a public notice signed by its Head, Communication Unit, Adejoke Alaga-lbraheem, had announced that “Utility Charges for all categories of students was reduced to N15,000 from N20,000.
“The obligatory fees for new undergraduate students was reviewed from N126,325 to N116,325 for courses without Lab/Studio and N176,325 to N166,325 for courses with Lab/Studio.
“Hostels fees were reviewed as follows: for undergraduate hostels in Akoka and Yaba Campuses, the fees was reduced to N43,000 from N90,000. For hostels in Idi-Araba campus, the fees was reduced to N65,000:00 from N120,000. The fees for Sodeinde Hall was reduced to N135,000 from N250,000.”
The notice had further noted that the Vice Chancellor of the University would commence the process of reinstating students’ union activities in the University.
The decision was taken at a meeting which lasted over five hours and had in attendance management staff of the university including the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services); Professor Lucian Chukwu; Dean of Students Affairs, Professor Musa Obalola and Professor Adebisi Sunday, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC).
Meanwhile, a student of the university whose identity was not revealed said, “I sent a member of staff to apply then and the former DSA told the woman to tell me that l will pay N210,000 (extra N150,000 for indigent students). When she told me, I laughed. Myself is an indigent student. So I told her to tell him l don’t have any extra N150,000 to pay. Then he said she should tell me that they’ll consider me only if there’s leftover space.
“They later gave me the Sodeinde and I paid only N60,000 as it should be, only for me to later realise that almost all my friends at Sodeinde then actually paid N210,000. I mentioned it sometime in 2021 or so on the former DSA’s Telegram group when he claimed Sodeinde is N60,000, the man deleted my post.”
Another student said, “Actually, I was planning to see the DSA face to face but he wasn’t around, so I met the Secretary and explained what I came for.
“Next thing she said was “Bring your parents, you can’t get it yourself. They have to be the one to sign. I told her I could afford it and pay by myself. She told me it’s N525,000 total.
“N525,000? Is it not N135,000 that you people wrote for Information Flash? The same Sodeinde that they told us is N135,000, to get it, the requirement is – you must adopt a student, and to adopt, you will pay N390,000.
“So to get the Sodeinde, you would pay N390,000 plus the official N135,000, making a total of N525,000.”
Adeyeye Olorunfemi, said that currently, “A number of these hostels have been privatised and turned to “suites”, pushing out poor and struggling students to the cold and to the voracious sharks waiting for them in the real estate business around campus.”
According to him, “It’s also laughable because in the list of palliatives rolled out by the Management, this adoption was also stated there, but they said it would be done by alumni.
“Why then has this criminal adoption been happening even before the increment in fees? There’s no other name to describe this than Stealing. Pure Authority Stealing.
“The N150,000 “goes” to the indigent students no one knows. To confirm to you that it is a racket, if you know your way around, you won’t pay the N150,000 adoption money.
“Despite all these rackets, the same VC is crying on TV that she loves the students and that the University will shut down if they don’t increase fees, they need to pay NEPA.
“The allocation to those indigent students that no one, including the sponsor knows, has been increased “due to economic realities” to N390,000. So as you approach the Student Affairs for a bedspace at that hall, you are told the total sum is N525,000 despite them announcing N135,000 to the world; an amount that is already outrageous- increased by over 100 percent (N60,000 to N135,000).
“The whole world needs to beam their torchlight to the extortion and criminal activities going on in UNILAG. We want to assure you that we won’t rest until all the perpetrators of this crime spend some time in jail.”
Sahara Reporters
