At Last, Fashola Orders Resumption of LASU Students

At Last, Fashola Orders Resumption of LASU Students
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.