LASU: How far will this crisis last ?
By Adesina Oluwaseun.
I find it so disturbing each time to see the Lagos
State University (LASU), my great Alma Mata in
the national dailies, and usually not for positive
reasons; this is as a result of the persistent and
seemingly unending crises that continue to rock
the school. It makes me ponder, why LASU?
I weep for the future of this glorious citadel of
learning as the selfish interest of its staffs and
students continuously draw back the progress of
the university. It seems for each step taken
forward, three are taken backwards and this has
prevented it from achieving the goals for which it
was established and has turned it into a laughing
stock among its peers and the general public.
Who or what really is responsible for this
persistent crisis? Is it the university management
or the government? If we are serious about
reaching a solution and moving forward we
cannot cancel the fact that some set of staffs
have turned themselves into a cabal so they can
dictate the running and activities of the university
to the management and the Lagos state
government, and this has always made the Vice
Chancellors of the university victims of this power
play. The former Vice Chancellor, Professor Lateef
Hussain was banished from the university by the
Academic Staff Union of the university (ASUU)
and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU)
members for unproven misdeeds. Also, the late
Prof Jadesola Akande an outstanding Professor of
Law was chased out of the University. Professor
Peter Okebukola who was confirmed by the
military administration of Major Gen Buba Marwa
as Vice Chancellor after Professor Enitan
Bababunmi voluntary resigned his appointment
when he could not cope with the various
uncooperativeness of the unions. Professor
Okebukola was victimized for not being a Lagos
indigene. Unfortunately, this trend seems not to
be over as the current administration of Professor
John Obafunwa has not been left out of this saga
by the university's cabal. Professor John
Obafunwa who has been regarded as a
transformer and a result driven achiever who in
his time as the Vice Chancellor has turned the
university structure's and curriculum to be at par
with international standards and also ensuring the
students can learn comfortably and compete with
their colleagues in other world class universities
through the erection of much needed
infratsurcture in the varsity, has been accused of
lack of human relations by the various unions in
the university. The selfish and self-centered
demand by the various unions in the university is
drawing back the progress of the varsity. I recall
in 2009, there was a general ASUU strike, just a
week to the commencement of examinations in
June, other schools resumed about four months
after. LASU, due to internal crisis didn't resume
till December of the same year. I rued being a
LASU student that year. 2010 was another year of
strikes and when Professor Obafunwa came, I
recall that in 2011, two sets graduated from LASU
and convocation was held in 2012 to
accommodate even backlogs. I was elated when
he announced during the ceremony that
certificates of those who had graduated in 2011
along with those of previous years were ready,
that was a first! His administration came with
various building projects to ensure that LASU can
graduate from being a "glorified" secondary
school. Unfortunately though, crisis follows the
school like a bad smell. Recently, the university
had to suspend its 20th Convocation ceremony
due to another of the unions' crises. How long
will this continue? The excesses of the unions
must be checked as they cannot continue to hold
students' lives to ransom.
Kudos to the Student Union Government for the
victorious battle in the revision of the students'
fees to its old fee of N25, 000 (twenty five
thousand naira), but they can also not be
removed in being part of the school's problems. It
is expected that the reversed fees shouldn't be a
problem anymore, but this isn't so. The first
semester examination of the 2014/2015 academic
session which was slated to commence on
Monday July 6, 2015 has being postponed till
further notice because over 3,300 students were
yet to pay their school fees while over 3,500 were
yet to register. The consequence is that
examination dockets cannot be prepared and this
means even those that have paid cannot sit for
the examinations and gradually, their graduation
dates are being pushed back. The LASU SUG
needs to urgently educate and insist on it
members to pay up and register. Some people
should not hold others to ransom. Those who
refuse to do the essential must be prepared to
accept the consequences.
I plead with the Lagos state government under
the leadership of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, The
Executive Governor to intervene in the ongoing
crisis in LASU and cripple the power of the
various unions in LASU who have turned
themselves into a cabal thereby making the
university their political laboratory to flaunt and
show their political ego in their attempt to wrestle
power and dictate to the management.
Long Live Lagos State university,
Long Live Lagos state Government.



Cc : Lalasticlala