LASU AUTHORITIES TELL STUDENTS UNION OF PLAN TO IMPLEMENT NEW TUITION FEES

By NBF News

Authorities of Lagos State University (LASU) have officially informed the students union about the plan to implement the new regime of tuition fees increment approved by the state government. The Acting Vice Chancellor of LASU, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello told the new students union leaders at a meeting last Wednesday of the state government's approval of the new tuition fees and its plans to implement it.

The meeting, which was also attended by the registrar, bursar and librarian, saw the acting VC present the approved tuition fees as contained in the government's white paper on the visitation panel report before the students union exco. Daily Sun gathered that after Prof Olatunji-Bello had spoken, the students union President, Akeem Durojaiye told the university management that the entire students were opposed to the fees increment and vowed not to allow its implementation.

The meeting ended without any resolution and the student leaders went back to strategize on the next line of action but in a statement opposing the fees increase, it denounced the increment warning that there was no justification for such action. The new regime of tuition fees as recommended by the visitation panel and approved by the state government are College of Medicine N348,750, Faculties of Arts/Education N193,750, faculties of Social and Management Sciences N223,750, Law programmes N248,750, Communication/ Transport faculties N238,750, Science Faculty N258,750, Engineering Faculty N298, 750,

In the release entitled 'Our stand' and signed by the the students union President, Durojaiye Akeem and the Public Relations Officer of the union, Azeez Olateju, described the fees increment as detrimental to the academic pursuit of the students and condemned the Fashola administration for approving the fees increment. The students said they rejected the 725 percent increment in school fees and stressed that at no point were the representatives of the students union involved in the process that led to the recommendations by the visitation panel while noting that amenities were in deplorable condition.

It urged the entire students to proceed with their examinations, as the union would employ dialogue and confrontation in tackling the issue. Durojaiye, however, told Daily Sun that the union intended to write the governor and the state House of Assembly on the issue and warned that no LASU student would pay the new tuition fees. He revealed the old fees as follows, old students N25,000 and old students N35,000.