In an official statement made available to correspondents in Osogbo on Monday, the management of the Osun State University, has said 4,410 students of the institution may lose their studentship for owing the fees running to over N2 billion.

The university, said it was sad that over 4000 students had yet to pay their fees just two days before the deadline.

The statement by the school's Corporate Affairs Unit, said it observed that many of the students, who were owing school fees of between two and 11 semesters had collected the money from their parents and guardians but had either “invested” the money in the failed MMM scheme or diverted same to other purposes.

The university, however, stated that students who could not meet up with the deadline and, who did not want their studentship terminated might apply in writing to the school authorities to grant them leave of absence for the current semester with a sworn affidavit, pledging to make payment before resumption from the leave of absence.

The statement read; "Over 4000 students of Osun State University may lose their studentship for failing to pay their school fees before the expiration of February 28, 2017, deadline set by the university management.

"No fewer than 400 parents/guardians of the defaulting students have called the University help lines to report that they had long given money to their children/wards.

“The university Senate at its meeting of January 26, 2017, after observing that a large number of students had refused to turn up in spite of ceaseless appeals, decided that the students’ portal be reopened longer into the 12th week of resumption against the four weeks stipulated in the University regulations.

“The decision of the University Senate, which was adequately communicated to all the students on February 2, 2017, was to afford more students the opportunity to pay their fees with effect from 17th to 24th February 2017, a date which was later extended until February 28, 2017.

“On 16 February 2017, some students embarked on a protest against the enforcement of extant rules and regulations regarding fee payment and registration. Investigations show that over 90 percent of the protesters had not registered for between two and 11 semesters, and were thus using the stipulated late registration penalty of N10, 000 as a smokescreen for their years of defaulting in fee payment and registration.”