http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31898:fashola-and-lasu-strike&catid=77:letters&Itemid=613


SIR: It is disturbing to know that a state that prides itself as a “Mega City” has neglected its four state-owned tertiary institutions to continue to wallow in continuous strike and crisis. One can only wonder what becomes of a mega city where the youths are regularly thrown to the streets as a result of prolonged closure of their schools. The on-going strike in LASU, AOCOED, MOCPED and LASPOTECH is almost three months old with the state government paying little or no attention to it.

LASU, for instance, was closed down for six months last year as a result of internal crisis and national strike. This means that students of this institution have lost 10 months out of 20 to strike. The current strike embarked upon by the staff unions is in protest against the refusal of the state government to implement the agreement reached by the federal government last year with all education workers’ unions.

For the benefit of the over 200,000 Lagos students who cannot afford to attend private universities; whose parents hardly earn a living wage; Governor Babatunde Fashola should immediately meet the demands of the striking workers. Fashola must also know that Lagos state cannot develop beyond the level of its educational development. Therefore, he should be willing to invest massively in education because it is only this that can guarantee the realization of the “Mega City” project.