Tag: LASU

Ambode’s Wife Asks Students To Shun Social Vices

Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Bolanle Ambode (middle), being presented with an appreciation award plague by Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun (right) during the 2nd LASU Distinguished Lecture Series at the University Auditorium, Ojo, on Tuesday, 28 August, 2018. With them is SUG President, Olalere Moshood (left).

 

The wife of Lagos State Governor, Bolanle Ambode, has asked students to shun cultism, drug abuse and other social vices.

The governor’s wife made the appeal on Tuesday at the auditorium of Lagos State University (LASU) in Ojo where she was one of the speakers at the second LASU Distinguished Lecture Series.

She urged the students not to bow to peer pressure but make the best use of the knowledge gained in school for self-development.

“No matter the peer pressure, emotional challenge or psychological issues you may be facing, I urge you to say no to drugs, cultism and other vices. One moment of indiscretion is enough to ruin a life,” she said.

Ambode who is also a graduate of LASU described the institution as one of the most prestigious.

She reflected that the founding fathers of the school had a vision of academic distinction for all students that would pass through it, hence the robust academic agenda and the phenomenal rise of the institution.

She said because of the quality of education in that institution, many products of the school had gained global recognition and doing very well in coveted professions around the world.

She commended the university authorities for the establishment of a Career Development Centre, for continuous improvement of LASU graduates, for professional efficiency and effectiveness.

In his welcome address, Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun revealed scholastic and professional achievements recorded by the institution.

He noted that the United Nations had just chosen a cohort of millennium fellows from the University, to support its Sustainable Development Goals.

Other such exploits according to him, included an on-going exchange programme with Indiana University, USA, among other inspiring achievements.

Professor Fagbohun stressed that the Centre for Career Development was established to entrench the potential of students, with a vision to chart career pathways and produce employable and marketable graduates, for national and global relevance.

Guest speakers, Joke Silva, Segun Arinze and Mrs Dan-Faparusi Ogugua Enitan, spoke to the students on how to adopt the five Ds of Desire, Determination, Diligence, Dedication and Discipline, in their pursuit of career success, adding that they should get rid of fear and be prepared to start small.

Lagos Govt To Tackle Security, Other Challenges In UNILAG, LASU

Lagos Govt To Tackle Security, Other Challenges In UNILAG, LASU
File photo

Lagos State government says it will tackle the security and other challenges facing students and members of staff of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos State University (LASU).

The state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, said this on Thursday when he received the National President of UNILAG Alumni Association and other eminent members of the association at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja.

He said the state government would complement the efforts of UNILAG’s management in necessary and required areas, with the overall objective of improving the learning experience and activities within the university community.

The governor, who is also an alumnus of the institution, said there was no question about the fact that UNILAG had impacted value and service to the government in immeasurable ways and still counting.

He assured the association that the state government would always be willing and ready to support the institution in whatever areas necessary.

“I am aware that the student population in the university right now is about 40,000,” Ambode said.

“Beyond the fact that the university authority is providing service to that large population, obviously the kind of services we are providing as a government are also complementing in making the school a favourable choice for people to continue to come and learn in Lagos.

He further stressed the need for government to support the school’s management in addressing security issues and other challenges the institution might be battling.

“We will support the issues that concern students which we understand the alumni association is trying to address.

“We have this same kind of challenge in our own state university on the need to actually accommodate students, to give them a conducive learning environment and it is important that we use our wherewithal to support the kind of initiative that the Alumni Association is trying to do,” he said.

2016 In Retrospect: APC Will Come Out Stronger – Adesina

2016 In Retrospect: APC Will Come Out Stronger – AdesinaPresidential spokesperson, Mr Femi Adesina, believes that between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there is a fundamental difference of one being ‘progressive’ while the other is ‘conservative’.

He was responding to criticisms of the government and the ruling party on Saturday, December 31 during Channels Television’s special year-end programme, ‘2016 In Retrospect’, where panelists questioned what they described as lack of ideology.

A former Lagos governorship aspirant, Sinatu Ojikutu described the Buhari administration as one with good intentions but without a proper idea of how to do it.

She agreed with another guest on the show, who said that the lack of a party ideology has made governance difficult for the APC.

She went on to say: “These two parties; PDP, APC, I don’t see that much difference between the two of them in terms of what they want to do for Nigeria”

A Communication expert, Dr. Nick Idoko, however put a different perspective to the issue.

“As a nation, we have a crisis of philosophy. We don’t have a philosophy, so you can’t build parties based on philosophies or ideologies. That is why they are bankrupt,” he said.

But Mr Adesina insisted that in spite of both parties being made up of persons who had decamped at different times, “the ideologies are clear”.

“APC stands on the side of the people, PDP we can say is a little bit on the capitalist side” he added, but the guest unanimously disagreed with his submission.

Political analyst, Deola Soetan, argued that Mr Adesina had not made any correct statement as regards his description of socialism.

He maintained that being “on the side of the people” would demand modesty from politicians as displayed by the likes of Adekunle Ajasin in the past.

Commercializing social services, according to him is capitalism, “That is why during Fashola’s time you had university students paying over 300,000 naira against the philosophy of LASU (Lagos State University) when Jakande created it for poor people to come and become graduates.

“That was why you had tolls everywhere on the road. That was why you had farmers being expelled even from their lands, converting it to housing estates by land speculators.

“So I think Mr Adesina should consult books,” he said.

The panelists had also earlier described the internal crisis experienced by the APC in 2016 as a major distraction for the government.

In his comment, the President’s aide argued that a political party can have upheavals but what it does with it is what matters as such can either destroy the party or make it stronger.

However, with the series of meeting among the stakeholders in the party, there have been genuine efforts to ensure that the party sorts out its challenges.

He went on to say that the APC “will not be destroyed, rather it will come out stronger from what has happened to it”.

Group Condemns Hike In LASU Fees, Charges

LASU Fee Hike: Group Condemns Management’s PlanThe Council of Higher Institutions (COHI) has criticised the hike in acceptance fee and indigene verification charges by the management of the Lagos State University (LASU).

COHI, which is an organ of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, made the disclosure in a statement signed by its Coordinator, AbdulWaasi’ Muddaththir.

The body noted that the said fee to be paid by students was against the current fee regime of the institution, which was just reversed from the previous over 250,000 naira to its initial 25,000 naira.

“It would be recalled that the management had on Monday released a bulletin via its website, stating that the successfully admitted students should within a week pay a non-refundable acceptance fee of 20,000 naira and indigeneship verification fee of 5,000 naira.

“Whereas the acceptance fee increased from 10,000 naira to 20,000 naira, the verification fee rose to 5,000 naira from 1,000 naira.‎ The increment in the fees may lead to chaos and another closure of the institution which has just been witnessing calmness after several years of unease, if care is not ‎taken.”

The group asked, “Of what benefit is it to the government to deny students of having access to education? Why should a whooping sum of 5,000 naira be collected from indigenes?”

The council alleged that the move by the institution was a means to strategically return to the unbearable fee of over 1000% increment.

“If an administration at its early stage can introduce an unjustifiable increment in acceptance and verification fees, then there are high tendencies that the same government may return to the obnoxious 1000 percent increment later reversed by the same All Progressives Congress-led administration,” the body added.

COHI also urged the LASU management to extend the time for payment of the normal fee beyond one week so as to enable indigents pay.

Pioneer VC Advocates Funding LASU From Other Sources

LASUAdequate funding, proper financial management and investment in staff training are critical to the development of any educational institution.

These are part of the submissions at a forum organised to chart a new course for the Lagos State University (LASU) at Ojo.

The participants, amongst whom were the pioneer and current Vice-Chancellor of the school, believe that it is time to move the school away from that of consistent crisis to a stable academic environment.

The founding Registrar of the School, Esther Ashafa, said that the school would need to revisit its founding vision as Lagos belongs to all and stakeholders must believe they have a role to play in sustaining the vision of the founding fathers.

The Lagos State University was established 31 years ago and in recent years has been enmeshed in various crisis, including cultism, incessant student unrest, unstable academic environment and a hike in school fees in 2011.

These are among issues that have affected the school negatively.

In proffering the solution to these problems, the Pioneer VC, Prof Afolabi Olumide, stated that funding LASU should not be the sole responsibility of Government alone.

“The responsibility for the provision of such funds belongs, not only to the sponsoring body, that is Government or a private institution, but also to other who may be interested in the institution,” he said.

Students Honour Fashola With Certificate Of Commendation

FasholaIn appreciation of his contributions to the improvement of education in the country, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the South West Zone, on Monday, honoured the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, with a Certificate of Commendation.

Governor Fashola, who recently announced a reversal of the school fees in the Lagos State University (LASU) to its old structure, got the students’ applause for giving them a listening ear and allowing them the chance to contribute their quota to the growth of education by getting proposals from them, while they engaged the government during the recent students crisis.

The students, represented by their “Senators” from all the higher institutions in the South West Zone, said that the Governor struck them as the right leader to turn the country around through the creative way he recognized the import of their arguments that education could be run in a way as to encourage both the children of the rich and the poor to fulfill their gifts for education, without creating classes and division among them.

Governor Fashola received the recognition award at the Lagos House, Ikeja, and charged them to always reflect on how the quality of education can be improved. While making a commitment that the State Government would solve the problem of the issue of quality of education, he stated that the students also have a role to play in proffering solutions.

“I am also inquiring from you that how can we improve the quality of education? So that we can begin to plan how to produce our next sets of graduates that would produce our cars, give us electricity, perform heart and kidney surgeries here. It may look so far away but we are so closer to getting out and you are so close to taking over. We need to quickly fill that gap”, he stated.

On the Lagos State University (LASU) issue, Governor Fashola said, ”It was the students who asked for intervention in their school. All actions have consequences. When you sought the setting up of visitation panels, you don’t know what the result would be. What you did not realize is that you were asking outsiders to come. I hope the right lessons have been learnt. For us it is about making things better. You must ask yourself, is your method working? If they are not working, are you reflecting on changes?” he said.

Fashola expressed gladness that the school fees issue ended in the way it did, which exceeded the expectation of the students, adding that it was important to remind everyone of how it all started and that the State Government did not just wake up and decided to increase fees in LASU.

He said, “Part of the recommendation also was that there should be massive investment in infrastructure funding and part of it was that we should also increase school fees. It was not our initiative It was the consequence of the choice that you made.”

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D Coordinator, Mr Sunday Ashefon, commended the Governor for surprising the students with his decision on the LASU fees because what the students were clamoring for was a reduction. He said, ”The fees payable in LASU now is not obtainable in any tertiary institution in Nigeria today.” He described Governor Fashola as another Awolowo of his generation.

 

LASU Strike Finally Over

After 3weeks of closure, the Lagos State University has finally settled its fees issues with students, and has asked its student to resume on June 23.

The students, who protested and embarked on a ‘compulsory recess’ due to the hike in school fee, have achieved their aim and were asked by the school to resume lectures in a released statement on June 19.

The statement by the school reads: “This is to inform all Full-Time Undergraduate Students (Fresh and Returning)
of Lagos State University that school re-opens for normal academic activities on Monday, June 23, 2014.

“Students are therefore expected to commence payment of school fees and also register, as the portal shall be opened on Friday, June 20, 2014.

“Registration, which is for two (2) weeks, shall commence on Friday, June 20, 2014 and end on the midnight of July 6, 2014.

“Tuition fees can be paid in full or in two installments of 70 percent (Harmattan Semester) and the balance of 30 percent at the beginning of Rain Semester.

“The revised fees schedule for all the faculties can be found on the school’s website.

“It should however be noted that the new regime of fees is not applicable to students
at 400 level and above.”

The management wished the student a successful academic session.

LASU VC Reveals Plans To Re-brand School, Tells Students To Be Calm

Professor John ObafunwaThe Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU, Professor John Obafunwa, on Monday disclosed plans by the management of the institution, in collaboration with the government, to rebrand the school, while calling on students currently protesting the tuition hike to remain calm.

Appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, Prof. Obafunwa explained that the hike in school fees after consultations had been made between the visitation panel, the school authority and the Student Union.

The panel had sent a report containing a proposal of school fees, which was sent to the university. “The university reviewed it and came up with figures, which went to government for approval,” Obafunwa said. “We cannot completely exonerate the academic staff of the university.

“When government was going to approve it, it was agreed that only new students would pay the new fees,” the Vice Chancellor (VC) said.

According to him, “the Student Union agreed to the fees”.

The VC said there was nothing wrong with the students’ agitation, but condemned the destructive tendencies displayed.

He stated that the institution needed to be re-branded, which would also cost money, but most of the internally generated revenue come from school fees, which is used to subvent staff salaries.

On the issue of reducing enrollment figures, the VC said the pass rate of students writing jamb had dropped, and as such, the school cannot accept those who do not qualify.

The intention is to make it a residential university and the management had received proposals to build halls.

About 10 halls of residence, a shopping mall are part of the plans which will be funded by private investors. The school will only provide the land.

He expressed hope that within days, the issue would be resolved and the students would come back. “Our students should just be calm. They made a submission to the government. They appeared before the ad-hoc committee of the government,” he said.

A committee set up by the Lagos State government to resolve the issues is expected to submit a report on Monday.


 

LASU Union President Insists On Paying N46, 500 Tuition

lasuThe President, Lagos State University Student Union, Nurudeen Yusuf, has questioned the move by the state to increase the tuition.

He insisted that the government and authorities should revert to the agreement made by the student on April 7, 2014 to pay 46,500 Naira as tuition.

He stated that the school is a State University not a Private University and therefore should be made affordable for the common man.

The government had said that its intention was to improve on the standard of the university, but Mr Yusuf disagreed, stressing that “making the university a more standard university does not go in line with increasing the tuition”.

Mr Yusuf who was a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, on Wednesday urged the State government to increase its commitment towards the school by funding it adequately.

“The State government should fund the university adequately so that education will be made available to the people, so that the aim of the establishment of LASU will not be defeated,” the student union president stated.

He noted that the reasons behind the hike in fees should be explained by the government, and also criticised the recent move for students to pay for teaching practice  and other fees that the student were not meant to pay.

He complained about the school laboratory, stating that for over three years of increase in tuition fee, the school’s laboratories are without chemical, classes are without windows which is preventing the students from having quantitative and qualitative education.

He added that certain things should have been put in place before increasing the fees. He listed some of the areas needing attention to include improved standard of education and up-to-date infrastructures for teaching amongst others, urging the government to pay special attention to education like other developed countries.

 

 

LASU Students Say No Turning Back On Proposal To Lagos Government

lasuThe students of the Lagos State University, LASU have said there is no going back on their proposal to the state government to reduce the school fees to 46, 500 Naira for returning students and 65,500 Naira for fresh students.

At a press briefing held in the Ojo campus of the school on Monday, the Student Union President, Nurudeen Yusuf, told journalists that the students are unanimous in their resolve not to resume academic activities until the fees are reduced.

They appealed to the school authorities to close the portal for payment and registration for the new session until the State government made a pronouncement on the fees as proposed by the students.

In a schedule of the fees, new intakes in the College of Medicine are to pay as much as 308,750 Naira while the least fees are that of students in the Arts/Education, 193,750 Naira. Get detailed list of fees here.

The students also appealed to parents and guardians to stand in solidarity with them and not to make any payments to the school.

They have also declared a week of what they call, “a mass protest against the ‘Boko Haram policy’ of the Lagos State government”. The week long activities will see the students take to the streets again for peaceful marches, rallies & protests.

LASU Fees: Fashola Says Government Is Not Inflexible

Gov FasholaaThe Lagos State Government says it is willing to make adjustment or amendment where there’s need for better understanding on lingering issue between it and the students of the Lagos State University (LASU).

This comes as it was revealed that the parties have been holding talks on ways of reaching an agreeable fee regime for the school.

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who dropped the hint at the weekend, assured the students of the school that the State Executive Council was studying their paper to the Government on the increase in their school fees, promising that where there is need for adjustment or amendment it would be effected accordingly.

Following several agitations by the students on the fees increase, the State Governor met with them severally and it was agreed that the students should make their independent study and present to Government a position paper on the way forward.

Fielding questions at a live television interactive session with media executives at the Lagos Television, Ikeja, to mark Democracy Day in the State, Fashola said that the students have presented the paper which was before the Executive Council for consideration and approval.

He declared, “I have passed it out to the Council. We have told the students that we are not inflexible and where we see the need for adjustment or amendment, we will do it so that they might understand it better”, noting, however, that going by the position paper, the students were not against the increase but the parameters used in calculating the fees.

Fashola reiterated that the increase in fees regime was one of the many recommendations made by a Visitation Panel inaugurated at the instance of the students in a petition to the House of Assembly.

“There were many recommendations made by the panel many of which we accepted. It is the school fees that have become so vexatious as it were. What we have done is that we looked across schools, federal and state and private schools and tried to stay somewhere in the middle”, the Governor explained.

He said Government also decided that the new fee was not going to affect sitting students but only new intakes, adding that in consideration of qualified but indigent students, Government also increased its budget for scholarships and bursaries from N700 million, to about N1.2 – N1.3 billion “in order to ensure that no child was left behind”.

On reason for the increase, Fashola further explained, “We felt that there was no convergence of universal learning. We had begun to see LASU as a school only for children of the poor. For me that is a very dangerous thing to do, a university where children of the rich and the poor cannot sit together. The rich are taking their children to private schools; for me that is a time bomb for the future. They may not see it now”.

“In the event, the students have come back to me three years after, at the instance of their lecturers, who are saying that we should reduce the school fees otherwise they would go on strike. But the same lecturers are asking us under ASUU to increase their salaries”, he said.

1292 Apology Letters Expected From LASU Students – Fosudo

The Director of Information, Lagos State University LASU, Sola Fosudo has said that the school management is expecting about 1292 apology letters from the students due to the mayhem they caused at the school premises before the portal will be opened.

He made this known on Channels Television’s Saturday Sunrise, where he stated that the case is being handled by the House of Assembly which had advised the school to open the portal for about two days to enable the students finish up their registrations, but the House has instructed that before the portal is opened for the student, they must submit an apology letter to the school, (each individual).

He explained that there are 12,858 students in the school, 11,566 have registered and 1292 have not registered since February 2013, he said exams were supposed to start in July 2013 and the portal had been closed since the first week of July. He mentioned that before the final closure of the portal in July it had been opened several times but the students seemed unserious before the Vice Chancellor of the school gave the instruction for it to be closed.