LASU: How far will this crisis last ?

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.