UNILAG students “suffer in silence” as school hikes transport fare
University of Lagos (UNILAG) has increased standard cab fare by over 66 percent but students, having been made to “sign their rights away”, cannot complain.
Cab fare used to be N30. It’s been raised to N50 — a 66.66 per cent increase.
Campus shuttle fare which used to be N50 is now N70 — a 40 percent hike.
The new price regime kicked off on Monday, July 11, but little has been heard of it because students who would usually protest such “harsh” management policy are now unable to do so.
“Cab operators have successfully forced their will on us,” a student who doesn’t want to be named told NewsroomNG.
“But we can’t protest because we signed an indemnity form before being allowed back into the school as part of the fallout of the last protest we held,” he said.
That protest erupted over the failure of the school to provide electricity and water. Authorities said the last national fuel scarcity and other issues caused the fall of supply of the basic needs.
UNILAG suspended academic activities after students raised their voices. The school later reopened with harsh terms handed to students.
“As I speak to you, some of the students who led that protest are being grilled by disciplinary panels,” the student told our correspondent.
UNILAG also disbanded the student union body and kicked its leaders out of the hostels. Students leaders were also arrested after the protest began.
Education Right Concern (ERC) said the school went too far.
Leader of UNILAG cab drivers refused to speak with our correspondent over the fare hike.
“Go and meet the DSA, he’s one of the people who can explain why,” he said. “I have nothing to say.”
On Tuesday, we reached out to Dean of Student Affairs (DSA), Prof Tunde Babawale, over the transport fare hike but his secretary said he was busy preparing for another media interview.
Our correspondent texted him later in the day. As at the time of filing this report, the DSA hasn’t responded to our question.
A female student (names withheld) who spoke with our correspondent in front of New Hall, one of the school’s hostels, said “we’ve accepted our fate and can only now suffer in silence. If anyone protests this hike, the school may do something very bloody”.
“But I don’t understand why they would increase campus shuttle bus fare to Bariga to N70,” she said.
“Commercial buses charge N50 from Onike to Bariga. The distance is just like that between our campus shuttle park and Bariga.”
A cab driver who spoke to our correspondent said the hike was necessary because of what is going on in Nigeria.
“The government increased the price of petrol from N86.50 to N145 and so the cost of every other thing has risen, and is rising,” he said.
“It now costs more to maintain our vehicles. We had to increase the price to stay in business. The students are only experiencing on campus what they experience outside of it.
“Things are hard,” he said..
