Police shoot one, as students protest, demand director’s removal
After three months of writing their 2010/ 2011 end-of-session examination without resumption for a new academic session, students of the Lagos State University External System (LASUES), penultimate Monday, took to the streets in a peaceful protest to agitate for the immediate resumption of the 2011/2012 session as well as removal of Director of LASUES, Dr. O.T.F. Abanikanda.
The placard-carrying students who convened at the Anthony campus of the school, barricaded the ever-busy Anthony/Ikorodu expressway, causing traffic snarl which disrupted human and vehicular movement for several hours on the four- lane road.
As one of the students was reportedly injured by stray bullets from men of the Nigerian Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in the process, the aggrieved students have swiftly called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to remove the Director of LASUES, Dr. O.T. Abanikanda.
The crux of the matter
Before taking to the streets, the students had earlier convened a congress at the LASUES Anthony campus, under the aegis of Joint Campus Students’ Representatives (JCSR), comprising the nine campuses of Agege, Anthony, Festac, Ikorodu, Iponri, Isolo, Jibowu, Ogba and Surulere.
According to them, the protest became necessary as management of the university has failed to brief them when they are billed to resume for the 2011/2012 academic session, even though they are one year behind their counterparts in the full time studies.

MD Abubakar, Police IG
The JCSR also gave Quadlife a copy of the communiqué it issued and sent to the Director of LASUES, which it also copied the office of the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Lagos State House of Assembly; Office of the Commissioner for Education, Lagos State; Office of the Dean of Students’ Affairs, LASU; all the Assistant Directors of the nine LASUES campuses; Office of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State and various media houses, proposing a scheduled meeting to discuss one-on-one with the management on the myriad of problems bedeviling the external system.
The myriad of problems
Following a recommendation by the Governing Council of the university in August 2011, the Lagos State Government announced the abolition of part-time programmes in the institution, when the 2010/2011 set graduates.
Before the last exams which held between May 21 and June 19, 2012, the students took to the streets having stayed at home for about eight months without writing the 2010/2011 second semester examination.
In the wake of their protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA), Alausa, the Director, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, Lagos State University (CIPPR-LASU), Dr. Sola Fosudo in a chat with Quadlife disclosed that the delay then was due to alleged irregularities and financial improprieties bedeviling the system.
He had stated that the new administration of Prof. John Obafunwa is doing its best to clean up the anomalies in the system, assuring that preparations for the long-awaited exams have commenced.
The students’ prayers
Meanwhile, the communiqué titled: “Send Out Succour,” dated August 27, 2012, was signed by presidents of the nine satellite campuses amongst whom are Com. Henry Adekunle (Agege campus); Com. Balogun Al-Almeen (Anthony campus); Com. Savage A.B. (Surulere campus); Com. Ibironke Ife (Isolo campus) and their counterparts at Festac, Ikorodu, Iponri, Jibowu and Ogba campuses.
It reads in part: “It’s disheartening that after our last exams on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, the running of Lagos State University External System (LASUES) has become dormant due to power politics and sectional scuffle between the Director of LASUES, Dr. O.T.F. Abanikanda, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman in the External System administration. And this has no doubt reaffirmed the saying that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers.
Among other things, the students prayed that the management should facilitate efforts for “the resumption of their academic activities, provision of missing results, provision of transcripts to all students, proof of assurance in black and white for provision of NYSC exemption letters and certificates.”
The student who got shot
When Quadlife contacted Com. Balogun Al-Almeen, who doubles as president, Anthony campus, and head of JCSR, the alleged shooting of one of the protesting students, Chris Omumu, was confirmed.
Explaining the ugly incident that occurred during their peaceful protest, Al-Almeen said; “During the course of our protest along Anthony/Ikorodu Road, some policemen from Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RSS) in their bid to disperse us shot sporadically into the air. We certainly obeyed their directive and left the express-way, but they still pursued us into our campus at Anthony, throwing canisters at us.
“As if that was not enough, one of the policemen fired a shot on the ground and stray bullets hit Omumu from Surulere campus. Omumu was hit on his mouth which made four of his teeth pull-out and also on his hand. Some of us immediately rushed him to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), where he was discharged after receiving medical attention. Presently, we thank God that Omumu is recovering at his elder brother’s residence at Ojo area.”
Management’s reaction
Reacting, Dr. Abanikanda told Quadlife in a telephone chat that the administration of the school was working on the backlog of results.

SOURCE: http://www./475136635845775/permalink/543362162356555/

School is no more a respected place, the dignity of school system in Nigeria is failing that is why students can be protesting about a director. Student has no business with the administration rather than to face their book, but the trend has gone bad.