At Last, Fashola Orders Resumption of LASU Students

Lagos State University (LASU)

Gboyega Akinsanmi  
One month after violent protest that culminated in its closure, the students of Lagos State University (LASU) have been ordered to resume on Monday without any stringent condition attached.   

Governor Babatunde Fashola ordered the re-opening of the institution in the same week the Joint Action Front (JAF) and Education Right Campaign (ERC) joined the students of the institution in protest against high tuition.

He gave details of their resumption in a statement by his Special Adviser on the Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, noting that the institution had to be re-opened in the overriding best interest of the students.

The governor added that the decision to re-open the institution after the state government had accepted the report of a Lagos State House of Assembly’s Ad-hoc Committee on the crisis that plagued the institution

The governor, however, explained that repairs of damaged property and facilities in the higher institution “will commence in due course. This will be done in line with normal government processes.

He, therefore, gave breakdown of the resumption schedule, noting that the institution “will re-open on the February 24 with final year student while the institution’s portal will be open for two days on February 24 and 25 for the final year students.

“The final year students’ examination will start on March 3 while freshers will commence registration on March 10. Other categories of students will resume on April 1 while the institution portal will be open for them on April 1 and 2. All the students are urged to be calm and be of good conduct.”
On Wednesday, hundreds of LASU students stormed the Assembly to express their grievances over what they called outrageous tuition, which they said, was arbitrarily approved without due consultation more than two years ago.

The Publicity Secretary of ERC, Mr. Hassan Soweto urged the legislative arm to talk to the governor to reduce the high fees being charged by the school, and allow all LASU students to resume on February 24 announced by the school management as resumption date for final year students.

Other demands of the students include re-opening of the course registration portal to enable about 1,292 students who have not registered to do so and adequate funding of the institution amongst others.

While the students were chanting protest songs with placards at the entrance of the Assembly, JAF Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Aremu added that all the students would resume on February 24 with the final year students.

He urged the legislative arm to avert crisis by reversing the fees being charged by the institution, saying that JAF members would be at the gate of the school on the resumption day and that they would disregard law enforcement officers the school management might invite to harass the students.