Press Releases

LASU Crisis: Fashola Assures Students Of Quick Resumption
• As Government directs LASU staff back to work this week

Dec 1, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday assured students of the Lagos State University (LASU) that academic activities will resume in the institution this week as directed by the Government to ensure that the students sit for their examinations.

Addressing students of the University who came on a peaceful protest to plead for the resumption of normal activities in the school to the Lagos House, Alausa, Governor Fashola said the purpose of Government in appointing a Visitation Panel is to take the various issues holistically, adding that the Government has always believed that the issues at stake can be resolved without interrupting the academic activities of the University.

He declared, “For me and for our Government, we recognize that the most critical stakeholders in our academic system are the students, the teachers and all the other staff as well as the parents and guardians whose daily expectation is how their children fare in the institution. We cannot allow one stakeholder to act in a way that will jeopardize the interest of the other stakeholders”.

Commending the students for the civil and orderly manner they have conducted themselves in seeking solution to the problem, the Governor promised, “Whatever it will take to restore the glory of the University, you can count on me to do it. After every war, people always go back to the table to negotiate; but I say let’s start from the table”.

Earlier, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele had addressed a Press Conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre where he read State Government’s Statement directing all striking staff of the LASU to return to work not later than Friday, December 4, 2009 even as the Government also appointed a five member Visitation Panel to resolve all outstanding issues at stake in the University.

In a statement signed by the State Commissioner himself, the Government warned that “failure to comply with the directive would be treated as a breach of employment contract and a contravention of applicable statutes with all the prescribed consequences”.

Members of the Visitation Panel include the Honourable Justice Oladeinde Silva as Chairman, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), (member), Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu (member), Mrs. Ramdat Okunola, (member) and Mr. Kaoli Olusanya (member).

The panel has a period of four weeks from the date of inauguration to complete its assignment and forward its report to the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who is Visitor of the University.

The Government declared, “Having regard to the fact that this strike action is taking place in an educational institution with very adverse implications for the future of our children, it must as a matter of necessity be ended forthwith”, adding that the action is not in conformity with the contract of employment and statutory regulations guiding the conduct of trade unions and resolution of trade disputes in Nigeria”.

“It is inimical to the interest of the students and interferes with obligations of Government to guarantee uninterrupted academic activities on campus”, the Government said, pointing out that having taken cognizance of the various issues raised by all the parties, the situation should not have degenerated to the withdrawal of services by all the staff.

The Government said its appointment of a Visitation Panel is pursuant to section 23 (3) of the Lagos State University Law 2004 which empowers the State Governor, as Visitor of the University, to raise such a panel for the purpose of hearing all the issues raised in the dispute, recommending remedial measures and rendering advice on the effective fulfillment of the objects of the University and the due exercise of its function as prescribed by law.

On the issues at stake as it concerns the demand for the removal of the Vice Chancellor of the institution, the Government declared, “By the Law setting up the University, the Vice Chancellor is appointed by the Visitor and his removal is at the discretion of the Visitor and not at the whims and caprices of the students or staff based on industrial actions”, adding that every five years, the Visitor is statutorily allowed to appoint a Visitation Panel to examine issues concerning the welfare of the institution.

Speaking earlier, the President of LASU Students’ Union, Mr. Gbemileke Bakare said the purpose of the protest rally was to seek the immediate intervention of the Governor in resuming academic activities in the institution pointing out that the students were worried about their future having spent over six months at home.

The President said although the issue of removing the Vice Chancellor had been paramount among their demands, they are only concerned now about when to sit for their examinations adding that the issue of who is the Vice Chancellor is no longer paramount.

Present at the occasion were the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Lanre Babalola among other top government functionaries.