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Tag: Lagos State University

  • LASU celebrates ‘ethics don’ with retirement lecture

    LASU celebrates ‘ethics don’ with retirement lecture

    • By Glorious Idowu and Christiana Ohimai

    It is often said that humility is the foundation of learning.

    The retiring former Head of Department of Journalism and former Postgraduate School Coordinator, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Olujimi ‘Jimmy K’ Kayode, must have borrowed this maxim as his cardinal character.

    On Wednesday, September 10, the LASU community gathered not just to honour the brilliant academic retiring at 72, but to celebrate a man whose profound impact is matched only by his deep humility. The air was filled with stories; not just of his scholarly publications, but of his character.

    A quick search will show you a list of his formidable qualifications, a CV that could easily intimidate emeritus professors. But to meet Prof. Kayode in person is to meet a calm, gentle man whose simplicity is his true signature.

    When our correspondents waited in his office and he walked in, the man popularly known as ‘Jimmy K’ greeted them warmly, and they had no idea he was the professor they were there to see.

    A fitting lecture

    The central theme of the lecture to celebrate the retiring, but not tired lecturer was: “The Imperative of Communication Ethics in the Digital Age”. The celebration featured a panel session focused on ethics, a choice directly tied to the core of Professor Kayode’s identity.

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    Explaining this, the Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Prof. Jide Peter Jimoh, said: “As a professor, you ought to be known for one particular area of study. Your PhD will define something and your professorship will also make you. You are not just a professor; you are a professor of something.

    “For him,” the dean continued, “the major part of his scholarship has been in ethics; ethics of journalism. That is why we picked it. He studied how our professional and ethical standards impact society; what ethical things you must consider before reporting.”

    Prof. Jimoh elaborated on the practical nature of ‘Jimmy K’s’ work, which provided a moral compass for the profession: tackling dilemmas like how to report conflict without escalating it and the ethical boundaries of accepting gifts.

    “He has traversed all of those areas and has given us publications. So, that is why we are celebrating the ethical part of him. But he’s bigger than that, really.”

    Beyond the scholarship, the dean emphasised the man’s extraordinary humility and friendliness.

    “He does not have this overhang of, ‘I’m a professor.’ He is so ordinary. He relates with people as human beings first; not as a senior to a junior.

    “He is highly credentialed but he doesn’t walk with it. He doesn’t consider it anything big. That is what we are celebrating about him.”

    The event, attended by his beautiful wife, numerous professors, and admirers, was a wave of gratitude. Moved by the tributes, Prof. Kayode simply said, “I just want to thank everybody for even thinking about doing this for me. I’m grateful.”

    The university presented him with a monetary gift as a token of appreciation. That was quickly supplemented by a flood of personal gifts from those whose lives he had touched.

    It was a final, fitting testament to a selfless man, who loved God, loved giving, and whose favourite birthday gift to give is a Bible.

     Retired but not tired

    When asked about his retirement, the man himself was characteristically straightforward. He revealed that his recent sabbatical seamlessly transitioned into his retirement as he turned 72.

    “That was the preparation,” he said with a smile.

    But for Prof. Kayode, retirement is not an end. “I’m retiring, but I’m not tired,” he declared, outlining plans to continue teaching as a visiting professor. He described teaching not as a job, but as a calling. “The fact that I always love to see students make it; that’s what really drives me. That’s my pride. I’ve taught students who have become deputy governors, vice chancellors…”

    His advice to the younger generations was heartfelt and practical.

    On ethics, he said: “Ethical dilemmas will always come. Make sure that whatever you do, you can justify it. Stay with your conscience.” On life: “Be friendly with everybody. Then, you won’t have enemies.”

    And his ultimate words of wisdom, he said: “Pray for your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for your enemies and do good to them that hate you.”  He emphasized that these values have guided him throughout his career.

    Professor Kayode attributed his drive to see students succeed as a key motivator in his teaching career. He described teaching as a calling, similar to the ministry, and takes pride in having mentored students, who have gone on to achieve great things.

    On the topic of ethical dilemmas, Prof. Kayode advised individuals to make justifiable decisions based on truth and conscience. He emphasised the importance of being able to justify one’s actions and decisions.

    Professor Kayode expressed contentment with his life and career, stating that he has never had significant challenges and is proud of the impact he has made through his teaching.

    A man with rich background

    Prof. Kayode’s background includes working at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, the civil service, and the private sector. His impressive CV is a testament to his dedication to his craft. His commitment to mentoring and teaching has had a lasting impact on the field of journalism.

    A renowned journalism educator, ethicist, and moralist, he has had a distinguished career spanning over four decades.

    Born on August 26, 1955, in Surulere, Lagos, Prof. Kayode has made significant contributions to the field of mass communication, particularly in public relations and advertising.

    He graduated with a second-class upper division in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos in 1980. He later earned his master’s degree in Mass Communication from the same university in 1985, focusing on Public Relations and Advertising. In 2015, he earned his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the same university.

    Professor Kayode has held various positions, including Acting Director of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and Acting Head of the Department of Public Relations and Advertising at Lagos State University. He has also served as an adjunct lecturer at numerous universities in Nigeria and as an external examiner for several universities in Southern African countries.

    He received an award recognising his outstanding teaching in journalism from the Poynter Institute of Media Studies in Florida, USA, in 1991. He has participated in training programmes both within Nigeria and internationally, including journalism training and a teaching fellowship in newspaper design at the Poynter Institute of Media Studies.

    Professor Kayode is a prolific author, having published over 50 articles in top local and international academic journals and book chapters. He has also authored the e-book “Marketing Communication” published by bookboon.com.

  • Rethinking Africa’s learning models, others

    Rethinking Africa’s learning models, others

    Africa must rethink it educational models,foster indigenous wisdom and systems and abolish intellectual dependency that engenders inferiority complex.  It is imperative for African universities and research institutes  to stop relying  on foreign theories; they should also avoid  dismissing indigenous knowledge as primitive. Thus, Lagos State University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi, has advocated a paradigm shift,one that seeks to reclaim African knowledge, redefine African identity, and restore the dignity of African thought.  DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports.

    Educational content should essentially reflect African philosophies and perspectives, teaching modes should prioritise critical  thinking rooted in local languages, oral traditions, and community experiences, while textbooks and learning materials should be developed in that regard.

    This and many more formed the central theme of Lagos State University’s (LASU) Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi’s presentation at the institution’s 108th  Inaugural Lecture entitled: “The Oracle and the Open Society: Rethinking the Evolution of Authority and the Pursuit of Epistemic Justice in African Philosophical Thought.”

     Held at the Buba Marwa Auditorium on the LASU main campus in Ojo, Lagos, the event was an impressive gathering of top management staff of the institution including Vice Chancellor Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, students, family and friends of Afisi.

    Afisi, who is a Professor of Philosophy, decried Africa’s crisis of identity, neocolonial control, exclusion of the continent’s philosophical traditions from global discourse, political dependency,among others.

    The don  described the problems  as structural barriers that continue to hinder Africa’s intellectual, social, and economic development, leading to dependency on foreign models of governance and knowledge,etc.

     He noted that  for centuries, African knowledge systems, whether in medicine, governance, philosophy, or environmental management, were systematically devalued and dismissed as “superstition” by colonial powers.

    He said European colonisers imposed their own educational models, replacing indigenous wisdom with Western science, philosophy, and religion. Describing it as  “epistemic displacement”, he noted that it did not merely change what Africans were taught; it disrupted the very foundations of African knowledge.

    He said: “Indigenous systems such as Ifá, which are coherent, interpretive, and ethically grounded, were rebranded as irrational. Today, African schools and universities continue to embrace Western philosophers, scientists, and theorists, leaving students disconnected from their cultural heritage. This intellectual dependency perpetuates a mindset of inferiority, where African scholars are pressured to adopt foreign theories rather than develop their own.

    “African societies find themselves caught between conflicting value systems, traditional ethics rooted in communal values, religious doctrines introduced by missionaries, and secular individualism promoted by Western modernity.

    “Africa’s underdevelopment is also compounded by political dependency and neocolonial control. Despite gaining political independence, many African states remain economically and intellectually dependent on former colonial powers, as well as on international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank.

    Politically, African leaders often adopt policies dictated by foreign donors rather than pursuing independent, context-sensitive development strategies.

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    Intellectually, African universities and research institutes continue to rely on foreign theories, often dismissing indigenous knowledge as primitive.

    This dependency is reinforced by a crisis of leadership and ethical erosion. In many African societies, leadership is marked by corruption, nepotism, and the pursuit of personal gain.”

    Afisi dismissed the  assumption that African knowledge traditions are  inferior to Western science. He  argued that both are systematic, evidence-based, and guided by internal logic, though grounded in different worldviews.

    He maintained that societies where the oracle and the algorithm coexist can be built; where ancestral insight and artificial intelligence inform each other, and where knowledge is a shared pursuit of truth, justice, and human dignity.

    He said the real issue is not the lack of scientificity in African systems but the imposition of Eurocentric standards of validation that refuse to acknowledge alternative modes of rationality.

    While calling  for a philosophical reconstruction and  reclamation of  African knowledge,  he stressed the need  to foster a global intellectual platform where the oracle can speak, the scientist can listen, and knowledge becomes a shared human enterprise.

    “We must recognise that the world is going digital. It is not enough to celebrate African traditions in cultural festivals while abandoning them in educational curricula, public policy, and intellectual discourse.

    To reclaim the knowledge of the oracle is to assert epistemic justice, to affirm that African knowledge systems are not inferior or superstitious but are alternative modes of rationality that deserve recognition, respect, and critical engagement,” he said.

    Afisi stressed the importance of  policies that  integrate African philosophies in humanities and science education, adding that public intellectuals and philosophers should be appointed to policy advisory roles to ensure reflective and culturally-sensitive governance. I advocate for the inclusion of Philosophy as part of courses taught in our JUPEB or A/Levels system in Nigeria.

  • Omatseye’s Juju Eyes excites LASU students

    Omatseye’s Juju Eyes excites LASU students

    The town-gown relationship between the Lagos State University, Ojo and the media industry, received a big boost when author, columnist and Chairman Editorial Board of The Nation Newspaper, Mr. Sam Omatseye held a reading session of his recent book Juju Eyes.

    The event organised in collaboration with the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies of the university, was a continuation of the partnership between the author and the faculty in supporting progressive academic programmes of the faculty. One of the lecture halls, venue of the reading, was filled to capacity by students, lecturers, book enthusiasts and friends of the author, including the publisher. The two-hour session was coordinated by Prof Tunde Akanni, one of the senior lecturers at the Journalism Department, had in attendance Prof Rachel Bello of English Department, Dr Suleiman Hassan, Journalism Department,  Dr Ganiyat Tijani-Adenle and Mr Adejobi Oladele Adetunji, of English Department among others.

     The audience defied the morning rain fall last Wednesday to quench their thirst to know first hand, the thrust of the new book, Juju Eyes. It is a story that situates Nigeria and some other climes in the model way of corruption, exposing all elements of evil that bestride a society.

    The reading was the first of a three-leg reading session that will also hold on June 17, at the Faculty of Arts Boardroom, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos @11.00am and on Sunday, June 22, at Roving Heights Bookstore, Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos @4.00pm.

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    Published by Sunshot Associates, Juju Eyes has its thematic concept rooted in Africa’s mythic village scene but which morphs into modern city dwelling and how these two intersect. Juju Eyes follows the life of a young lady, Shay who like Nigeria, suffers betrayal from a close quarter and is made to live a life of many lies and abuses just to survive.

    Omatseye who read from selected sections of the book pledged to reward any student

    who can write the best news report on the event with one hundred thousand naira. ” I pledge to give one hundred thousand naira to the best news report by any student present at today’s reading,” he declared.

    Omatseye described “Juju Eyes” as an ‘intersection of vanity and superstition, and how a rebel in the Nigerian soul wields this intersection often to our own hurt. In every sphere of our lives, we make gods and try to kill them until we realise there is no such thing as divine suicide.’

    In his usual magnanimity, the author reduced the cost of the book from ten thousand naira per copy to two thousand five hundred naira in order for the students to buy the books.

    Fielding questions from the audience, Omatseye disclosed how he came about the storyline of the book as well as its title.

    “I got this expression from the steward of one of my friends in Port Harcourt.  I heard him call his girlfriend juju eyes.  And I asked him, why would you call your girlfriend in juju eyes? He said it is because they worship her as juju eyes,” he said.

    He recalled that at the onset he had wanted to write on a very prominent man who committed so many wrongs yet very successful and rich. The focus however changed when he encountered the story idea that morphed into Juju Eyes with Shay as one of the leading characters.

    He noted that the book is a story of women, that even women would not want to say themselves.  And about men, that men would not want to say themselves.

    “It’s a story of miscitement, of lies. After all, the madness put in there is a very terrible thing.

    One of the most fascinating characters in the novel is the mother of Shay, who is more of a villain than Olampe because she leaves her daughter to the hands of the lord. Just because she is benefiting from the corruption. And she lets her daughter go. And then after a while, she is feeling guilty.”

    Dean Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, (FCMS) Prof Jide Jimoh, the chief host of the event, described the town-gown relationship between students and the industry as a critical aspect of learning and meaningful development of both students and the host community.

    He highlighted some of the challenges of information technology era where students no longer engage with the public, their senior  professionals and practitioners on the field.

    He recalled that at the inception of the faculty, it was resolved that town and gown relationship would be given priority.  “And you can’t expect less.  Most of us that started this faculty and staff were practitioners, journalists, media, PR, advertising practitioners.

    “We feel that we can marry this practical experience with the theory. So we can see the transition, we can see the movement. But we are also being fought by ethical and professional challenges that go with writing.  “The internet or social media has made a journalist of everybody. Well, we are not saying journalism should be a closed shop. But, if you want to learn mechanics, you should be able to distinguish between 12 and  13 spanners.  So you need to at least learn from those who are there or who were there before you,” he added.

    He stressed that there are some ethical and professional abuses, which he said,  are why people post nude and scary  pictures capable of defying society because they do not have that ethical and professional background.

    He assured that the faculty will continue to teach both the theory and practise of the profession.  “So when we have the opportunity to have a practitioner speak to us, we don’t take it for granted,” he said.

  • Prof. Ibiyemi-Bello at 60

    Prof. Ibiyemi-Bello at 60

    Matters miscellaneous beyond the academia

    It was in Bolaji Sanusi’s ‘The Liberation News’ that I first got the hint that Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the ninth  vice-chancellor Lagos State University, Lagos, would be 60 last week Tuesday, through a piece by Louis Odion titled ”Bouquet for the Amazon of multi-tasking at 60”. It came out in the April 18 edition of the online newspaper.  After reading Odion’s academic treatise, and the piece by Prof Olatunji Bello’s media assistant, Seun Gbaja, celebrating this scholar at 60, also aptly titled ‘Diamond toast to Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello @ 60″, you would wonder what else to say about this woman that Sanusi himself referred to as “TB’s inestimable jewel” in the advertisement that he generously used to lighten up Gbaja’s piece on Tuesday, April 23, the exact day that she turned 60.

    Let me warn from the beginning that this is not going to be strictly speaking about Prof. Olatunji -Bello’s academic attainments. Many people, including this writer had dwelled extensively on that, either now or before. What you are going to find on this page today may look like a wedding anniversary tribute rather than a birthday tribute.

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    Please do not blame me. Their 35th wedding anniversary is around the corner, the wedding having been consummated on June 3, 1989. That was some 35 years before. I will return to that shortly.

     Different things interest different people.

    One thing that intrigues me most about the Tunji Bello’s family is not the impressive rise of the man and father figure of the family, Tunji Bello (known among friends and colleagues simply as TB), especially in public administration in Lagos State that has thrown him into limelight, or the pedagogy of the wife, Ibiyemi-Bello that many people celebrate also with her steady rise in her teaching career in the university.

    Rather, I am intrigued, first by the continued togetherness of the couple in about 35 years of their marriage despite their ‘Muslim-Christian ticket’. Tunji is a Muslim while his wife is a Christian, as a matter of fact, a senior pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, to boot. I guess part of the secret of her successes at home and in life generally is her choice of service to the Lord. It is worthy of note that her pastoral ministry is reflecting positively in her home and the diverse external publics that she must necessarily encounter in the course of duty.

    Indeed, I marvel at how the two of them have managed to stay together for this long despite belonging to two different religions. I marvel because in our country, too many of us are religious but we do not let the tenets of these two religions reflect in our lives. Imagine how the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Tinubu and Kashim Shettima almost tore the country apart. Imagine how on every street churches and mosques are mushrooming and competing for attention. Yet, imagine how the country is today despite our religiosity. Most of us profess our love for God but our hearts are far from Him. In spite of our love for God, our country has remained only potentially great ever since I was born over six decades ago and is still potentially great with over 20 million out-of-school children and about 133 million reeling under the yoke of multi-dimensional poverty.

    But that is not where I am going today. So, I don’t want that to pollute my mind or the minds of readers that may have been enjoying this tribute.

    Tunji-Bello’s marriage is 35 years and is still intact. I was there at the very beginning with our then deputy editor of ‘The Punch’, Chris Mamah. That was in the struggling years of the newspaper, so, we went to the event in Mamah’s official car, a Volkswagen Beetle. I still remember vividly some of the things that transpired at the time. Please do not blame me if I sound proud to say I was at their wedding. I am like any other rational human being who wants to be identified with success. Only failure is an orphan.

    I know so many marriages that were contracted long after theirs that have since collapsed despite the fact that both husbands and wives belong to the same religion. So, what is the problem? The problem definitely is not in the religions but in the people professing to be practicing them.

    Of course it is not that if you ask the Bellos they won’t have stories to tell about down moments in the marriage, but that they were able to weather the storms further buttresses the fact that the problem is with the human beings involved in the failed or successful marriages, and not the religions.

    Second, the kind of unhealthy competition or rivalry that you find among couples that are both doing well in their endeavours is palpably absent in their union. This tells a lot about  tolerance, home training, etc. especially on the part of the woman. This piece is essentially ‘matrimony-centric’ because yes, the man may be the head of the home; the woman is the one who is actually holding the pillars. Where the woman takes her home seriously, the result on the children is spectacular. Odion, in his birthday tribute on her attests to this thus: ”…The heavy burden of raising their children according to Godly values fell largely on the professor. It is to her credit that they have all turned out to be successful, adorable and well-behaved today”. This notwithstanding, though, it is TB that would now be claiming those children. In our society, good children belong to the father while ownership of the bad ones is foisted on the mother. Odion goes ahead to amplify on the attainments of the children, which is equally encouraging, especially in a country and perhaps world where most women now run after material attractions, at the expense of their children.

    It is not only on the children that you feel the impact of a good mother, it rubs off on the husband too. When I read Odion’s piece on her, I could see the invaluable contributions she had made in the life of TB. I said that much last week when I wrote about the First Lady and her contributions to her husband’s political and other successes. If TB has been able to come this far, it is because a great woman is also by his side. When you see a man that is nice and approachable, look to his left, that is beside him, you would most likely see the imprints of his wife, and vice versa. This is not to say that there won’t be some exceptions, though.

    On all of these scores, one must give kudos to the couple for their ability to navigate the ups and downs in marriage. Yes, I said the two of them eventually because it takes two to tango. A marriage crumbles when one of the parties decides that enough is enough. As the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola used to say, you cannot clap with one hand. A marriage begins to get ‘k-leg’ when one of the parties is tired of it. That none of them is tired of it shows their resilience and ability to tolerate one another. It shows the level of trust in the marriage. I can tell you for free that it is not easy to sustain a marriage, especially given the levels that both parties have attained in life. Tunji is commissioner-emeritus in Lagos State after being a successful journalist. Prof too has attained the pinnacle of her career. There would have been several temptations both ways; that neither has succumbed to them is laudable.

    Ibiyemi-Bello was born in the Olowogbowo area of Idumota on the Lagos Island on April 23, 1964. She attended Anglican Girls Grammar School in Surulere, Lagos, between 1970 and 1974 and Methodist Girls’ High School, Yaba, Lagos, between 1974 and 1979 for her junior and senior secondary education, respectively.

    She then proceeded to Lagos State College of Science and Technology, Lagos, and thereafter to the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology in 1985. She later went to the University of Lagos, Lagos, where she got her Master’s in the same discipline. Thereafter, she proceeded to the University of Texas at San Antonio, Health Science Centre, San Antonio, United States of America, between 1994 and 1998.

    She was as an assistant lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the first professor of physiology of the institution in 2007. She also served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University in 2008,  served as its acting vice-chancellor before her appointment as the 9th substantive vice-chancellor in September 2021.

    Needless to say that Ibiyemi-Bello had also served in various other capacities and bagged many awards in the course of her assignments.

    Nothing I have said should be taken to mean that Ibiyemi-Bello is flawless. No mortal is. My advice to her is to keep doing those things that have been earning her accolades even as she makes room for improvement concerning constructive criticisms.

    It is not easy to be ‘oga on top’ anywhere, not in the least a university setting. But if she has survived this far, not even the sky is her limit.

    If you see this piece as a birthday tribute, fine. And if you see it as a wedding anniversary tribute in advance, no problem. It was intended to be both, even if the original idea was to congratulate the celebrator who has refused to roll out the drums to celebrate her diamond jubilee despite its being a landmark. We had looked forward to a celebration where rice and stew would be very plenty. We had no choice than to accept the ‘ko sina dida nbe’ (nothing much) that the Bellos saddled us with.

    I congratulate Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello all the same and wish her more fruitful years on earth.

  • Again, LASU dismisses more union leaders

    THE Governing Council of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo on Thursday dismissed three executive members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter of the university.

    They include: Kemi Abodunrin-Shonibare, Union Treasurer and an associate professor, Department of African Languages, Literature and Communication Arts, Anthony Dansu, Senior Lecturer, Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education; and Adeolu Oyekan, Lecturer 1, Department of Philosophy. The last two were secretary and assistant secretary respectively.

    The trio were probed for allegedly violating the university’s law against unauthorised possession and use of official documents.

    Two other lecturers — Kehinde Coker, Lecturer 1, Department of Religions; and Olusegun Henry, Lecturer 1, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine — were also dismissed.

    Rumours of their imminent sack filtered on Monday, following the submission of the university’s Joint Council and Senate Disciplinary Committee, which recommended their sack.

    The Nation learnt that the union’s financial secretary, Hamzat Edu, a lecturer 1 at the Department of Islamic and International Law, was warned.

    Thursday’s Council meeting dragged till nightfall, with almost the entire campus deserted when the lecturers’ sack was finally ratified.

    In October 2017, LASU’s Governing Council  dismissed the chairman and vice chairman of the union —Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewunmi and Dr Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, alongside 14 others.

    The university’s Public Relation Officer (PRO), Ademola Adekoya, confirmed the sack.

    He said: “They (lecturers) have been dismissed. However, I can only say a little for now because I’m yet to receive the decision extracts. The (Council) meeting dragged till nightfall. So, very little could be done.”

  • LASU to produce historic 57 First Class at 23rd convocation

    For the first time in its 35 years of existence, 57 Fist Class students will lead 14, 312 others at the Lagos State University (LASU) 23rd forthcoming convocation.

    Also as an icing on the cake, the university is also producing two graduands who emerged the best graduating students across faculties of Engineering and Sciences respectively.

    Announcing plans for this year’s convocation at the university premises yesterday, LASU Vice Chancellor Prof Lanre Adigun Fagbohun, said the graduation which comes up on Thursday 17th of this month will feature the nation’s Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo as guest speaker, as well as former president of Ghana John Dramani Mahama as chairman of the day.

    Osinbajo would speak on the topic: ‘African Centres of Excellence in Africa: A veritable catalyst for nation building and development’.

    Fagbohun said the graduands comprises 54 diploma, 10, 252 first degrees, and 4, 063 higher degrees consisting 1,532 postgraduate diploma, 57 and 1994 academic and professional as well as 17 doctor of philosophy and 17 Ph.D.

    Fagbohun described the First Class figure as historic and a significant improvement over the previous convocation that produced 26 First Class.

    “This improvement on the figure of our First Class graduands is historic because this is the first time we are having this. This is the fallout of our Quality Assurance measure and every nook and cranny of the university has keyed into this vision. Besides our campuses are now full of activities as our students compete among themselves within the system and the rest of the world.”

    He said two best graduating students- Ridwan Oladotun Ola-Gbadamosi (Faculty of Engineering) and Nneka Karen Enumah (Faculty of Science) both made cumulative grade point average of 4.78.

    In addition Shukurat Opeyemi Kannike led the Faculty of Basic Sciences/Physiology with CGPA of 4.36, while Moshood Adekunle Bakare of Faculty of Education (Accounting Education) slammed his contemporaries with CGPA of 4.75.

    The trio of Ismaila Owolabi Salami of the Faculty of Management Sciences (Insurance); and Titilope Aishat Adebisi of the School of Communication (Mass Communication); as well as Emmanuel Adeoye Oyeleke of the School of Transport (Transport Management and Operations), dwarfed their colleagues with CGPA of 4.85; 4.47; and 4.12, in that order.

    Besides, Fagbohun said LASU was recently designated an Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovation and Transformative STEM Education, noting that the institution also inaugurated its Centre for Afro-Brazillian Studies at the Faculty of Arts.

    He said the university has continued to record achievements under his watch with 37 additional programmes being granted accreditation by National Universities Commission. This is also in addition to the 43 programmes that already enjoy full accreditation by NUC.

    Faghohun recalled that for sometimes, ago, the university put on hold the conferment of honorary degrees, saying it would lift the embargo at its due course.

    “It is not that we do not have distinguished Nigerians that merit our honorary awards; however, I want to again say our process (for choosing awardees) is rigorous. We want to tread softly so as not to compromise standards, he said.

  • Pa Gomez was a model lawyer, say CJ, Fagbohun

    A group of lawyers, the Egbe Amofin Ni Eko, has held its first inaugural lecture in memory of Pa Tunji Gomez, who died on July 18, last year. He was 90. JOSEPH JIBUEZE reports.

    LawyerS have a lot to learn from the late Pa Tunji Gomez, according to speakers at the first memorial lecture in honour of the late activist best known in legal circles as “A Matter of Conscience”.

    The late Gomez was a champion of ethics at the Bar, equality before the law, and for the good of the common man.

    Until his death last July 18 aged 90, he was in active legal practice while never missing a meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch, where he belonged.

    Lawyers, under the aegis of the Egbe Amofin Ni Eko, instituted a yearly lecture in his honour.

    The First Pa Tunji Gomez Memorial Lecture was held at the Foyer of the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere to mark his post-humus birthday.

    Its theme was: The Nigerian lawyer and the challenge of nation building – 2019 and beyond.

    The guest lecturer, Lagos State University (LASU) Vice Chancellor, Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun (SAN), urged lawyers to be faithful to their training as the late Gomez did.

    “If lawyers are faithful to their training, the fundamental functions and purposes of law which is to establish standards, maintain order, resolve disputes, drive necessary reforms and protect liberties and rights will be served,” he said.

    Fagbohun said throughout his life, the late Gomez made strident calls for every lawyer to be prepared to question the fairness and justice of laws and policies, and not to compromise the ethics of the profession.

    “Pa Gomez desired that judicial officers will consistently fall back on rules of interpretation to distinguish one case from another in a way that can give truth to law and thereby achieve justice. Nothing can be further from the truth.

    “Rule of law will not become ingrained nor do laws begin to count until every lawyer conducts his or her affairs in accordance with the ethics of the profession.

    “It will also not amount to much if judicial officers who are called upon to interpret and administer the law do not do so with honesty and dedication to the cause of justice. This is the base of nation-building,” Fagbohun said.

    The LASU Vice-Chancellor, after citing several high-profile cases that have lasted over 10 years in court, regretted that such cases could destroy public confidence in the judiciary.

    “When citizens no longer see the legal system as a space for the achievement of justice, it exacerbates discontent, deepens inequality, corruption, social injustice, corrodes democratic principles and normative values of democracy, and prompts citizens to resort to self-help,” he said.

    Fagbohun was of the view that institutions of judiciary must be strengthened.

    “Of course, it is rare, and indeed, it will be extraordinary to expect every lawyer and judicial officer to act responsibly.

    “Consequently, there is a need to reform and strengthen relevant regulatory institutions, such as the Nigerian Bar Association and its disciplinary arm, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee in the case of lawyers; and the National Judicial Council in the case of judicial officers.

    “In this regard, I fully align with recommendations from different quarters of the need to reform the teaching of ethics in our universities and Law School; properly mainstream continuing professional development after Call to Bar; and critically consider separation of the regulatory and representative functions being performed by the Nigerian Bar Association,” he said.

    Justice Kazeem Alogba, who represented the Chief Judge of Lagos, urged lawyers to see the late Gomez as a model in the way he practiced law, dressed and carried himself.

    He said: “I had encounters with the late Gomez even as a lawyer. He says it as it is no matter whose ox is gored.”

    Justice Alogba urged lawyers to practise law with conscience as the late Gomez did, noting that some lawyers have departed from the essence of the profession.

    “The philosophy underpinning law has been thrown aside by some. If we take seriously the jurisprudential training we received, we’ll practise law as it should be,” he said.

    Decrying the conduct of some lawyers, Justice Alogba said: “I can say that the flag of honour of the legal profession is flying as half-mast. The result is that today, some are no longer respected and recognised as lawyers.”

    He criticised the manner in which some lawyers dressed, noting that some are unable to differentiate what to where to parties and to court.

    “Pa Gomez would dress neatly, conservatively and lawyerly. But today some lawyers don’t know what to wear to court and to party. Appearance matters for lawyers. Please let’s take that from Pa Gomez.

    “Honesty has been thrown away. Why not be honest and trust that God will keep you alive? Lawyers should engage in soul searching for the good of the profession and the good of the society,” the judge added.

    Former NBA president Mrs Priscilia Kuye emphasised that lawyers play critical roles in ensuring that the government abided by the rule law.

    She said: “Even the executive should obey the law because everyone is equal before the law. Lawyers should make sure the rule of law is followed. We all have a role to play to achieve a Nigeria where everyone is equal and where rights are respected.”

    She paid tribute to the late Gomez, urging lawyers to emulate his life.

    Egbe Amofin Ni Eko Chairman, Mr Martin Ogunleye, said the lecture was instituted in honour of “the legendary legal activist” to mark his post-humus birthday, having been born March 18, 1928.

    “By the lectures, which would be an annual event, we intend to raise the consciousness of lawyers to their duty to the society and encourage positive activism that would benefit the larger society,” Ogunleye said.

    Also at the event were the late Pa Gomez granddaughter Jumoke Coker, his daughter Aduke Gomez, a Life Bencher Chief M. A. Ajomale, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), the late Pa Gomez cousin Mr D. Gomez and a Lagos lawyer Mrs Tolani Ed-Adeola, among others.

  • LASU lecturers want union dissolved over alleged fraud, hate campaign

    •We comply with the Constitution, says ASUU

    A group of lectures in Lagos State University (LASU) under the aegis of Concerned Members of Academic Staff Union of Universities, have called on the national body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to rescue ASUU-LASU from some charlatans whose unwholesome activities are capable of damaging the reputation of the union, while also sending ASUU LASU into extinction.

    The group also appealed to ASUU national to dissolve the current executive whose tenure expired since March last year. Similarly, the group also begged the parent union to send representatives to LASU to appraise the true scenario against the lies the local chapter has been peddling and spreading all over.

    Addressing the media in a briefing at the university premises yesterday, the group identified the immediate past chairman of ASUU-LASU Dr  Idris Adekunle, of not properly guiding the current executive.

    Immediate past Dean Faculty of Arts Prof Leke Fakoya, pointed fingers of accusation at the current executive of the union for perpetrating series of atrocities to dent the image of the university.

    Reading from a prepared speech, Fakoya lamented that the remnant of ASUU LASU, in their desperate bid for relevance, have been sponsoring hate campaigns against LASU, pilfering the union resources and exhibiting blatant disregard to constructive criticism.

    Aside losing sight of the focus of ASUU anchored on staff welfare, Fakoya lamented that they have also resorted to blackmailing or victimizing members opposed their opinions.

    He said: “The present and immediate past ASUU LASU exco members became so paranoid that they made allegations against all past leaders of ASUU LASU members and suspended them from meetings and other ASUU LASU activities. These past leaders have been on suspension for at least four years now, while over 100 responsible members have withdrawn their membership in protest against the present exco’s reckless leadership attitude.”

    Going down memory lane, a member of the group and also a former chairman of ASUU LASU Prof Kabir Akinyemi, said following the dismissal of Dr Akinloye Oyewunmi and Adeyemi Suenu who were former chairman and vice chairman of ASUU LASU respectively about two years ago, the exco presented an atmosphere of violence about LASU to ASUU national, a development Akinyemi said prevented the union from conducting a fresh election since the tenure of the current executive expired in March last year.

    Another member of the group and former secretary of ASUU-LASU Prof Elia Wahab, said the duo were dismissed for individually committing academic infractions, and not for fighting the cause of ASUU, a condition that would have entitled them stipends from the union’s account. He expressed surprise that despite the duo’s dismissal, Oyewunmi continued to be a signatory to the union’s account, and his vice Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu being fraudulently paid N50,000.00 cash each as stipends monthly, something against the union’s constitution.

    “The present ASUU-LASU exco members have used the excuse of Dr Isaac Oyewunmi’s dismissal to perpetrate fraud, deceit and illegality. Our investigation into the management of ASUU -LASU bank account revealed that the dismissed Dr Isaac Oyewunmi was a principal signatory to the account until January 15 2019 when we vehemently kicked against it.”

    Another member Prof Biodun Akinpelu, described many in the group as individuals of proven integrity who have made sacrificed to the development of ASUU LASU over the years.

    He corrected the misconception that the group us pro-management, adding that members were concerned about correcting the maladministration of the present executive and setting ASUU LASU back on the path of integrity.

    Akinpelu said the present management may not have been perfect, but should be accorded credit for having promoted over 150 members to professorial cadre, address workers-staff face off,  improved infrastructures, and operate a policy that encourages members to commend or critise them as the case may be.

    However Comrade Idris who pleaded to speak to The Nation as a member of the executive and not ASUU-LASU Chairman, said many of the suspended chairmen were envious of the achievements of the of the immediate past as well as the current executive.

    Idris recalled that some of the suspended chairmen of the union committed anti-parties activities that warranted their suspension. He said instead of them to follow the union’s laid down procedure for coming back, they wrote management to stop their check off dues, thereby automatically exiting themselves from ASUU-LASU.

    “You remember one of our past chairmen during the tenure of Obafunwa (immediate past VC of LASU), granted an exclusive interview in a national daily, throwing his weight behind the increase in tuition which the management introduced then, and asking students who could not afford it to look for admission elsewhere.

    “That was just one of it! We have a good number of them that ran foul of the union rules at one point or the other.

    Idris also justified the N50,000.00 payment to the aforementioned union leaders, saying the process leading to their dismissal was compromised.

    “What ASUU constitution says is that we can draw funds from the welfare account if a member is being  victmised or has health issues. In the case of Oyewunmi and Adeyemi-Suenu, we felt they were unjustly dismissed by the university. They have gone to court and until the court of the land upholds the university’s decision or otherwise, they will be entitled to a stipend from the purse of the union which is the N50,00.00 we gave them. And we stopped it as soon as they got a job in another university.”

    He said the union is convinced that management was behind the group’s intention, adding that ultimate goal was to convince the management to stop union check off dues so as to cripple them financially.

    “But we would advise them not to advise management to toe that path,” Idris said.

    “ASUU is not an arm of the university; therefore it has no right to stop members’ check off dues.

    “Two, some of these members were suspended and in anger they have requested that their check off dues be stopped. By stopping their check off dues, they have automatically ceased to be members of ASUU-LASU. So if you are no more paying your check off dues to the union’s purse, why should you the ask management to stop the check off dues of other members that are paying?”

    END

  • Protect LASU, VC charges alumni association

    Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), has identified alumni associations as major stakeholders in the development of their alma mater, as members carry certificates of their institutions for life.

    Fagbohun, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) on Friday in Lagos, charged the LASU alumni association to be proactive and not allow anyone use the institution as a bedlam of crisis.

    “The moment for the LASU alumni to work is now. Lanre Fagbohun will go, others will go, but if you (alumni) are not working, there will be trouble.

    “The alumni must be proactive now and stop sleeping. They must not allow anyone to use LASU as a bedlam of crisis, “he said

    According to him, this is key because the university is at a stage where it competes with the very best around the globe because it is aiming at being the best.

    Read Also: VC: LASU mustn’t fall back into dark years

    Fagbohun said the competition between the institution and others earned it selection by the World Bank as an Africa Centre of Excellence recently.

    “An Africa Centre of Excellence does not permit for strikes or crises because we will be attracting foreign students, so we must be proactive and strategic.

    “LASU as an African Centre of Excellence is now viewed as a philosopher and is expected to think of the gap in the system and how to solve it,” he said.

    According to the Vice-Chancellor, the university is also hopeful of being selected in some other bids it put in for international centres.

    Fagbohun appealed to the university’s alumni association not to desecrate the institution or allow anyone do so.

    He said this was important so that LASU would not go back to its dark ages when it was synonymous with crisis.

    “Benefactors will run away from LASU if we go back to the dark ages, as no one will invest in a place where there is crisis, “he said.

    (NAN)

  • Operation collect your certificate at LASU

    The Lagos State University (LASU) is now issuing certificates to graduates, mostly of its rested external campus system (part-time programme). The graduates have until January 1, next year to collect the 32,522 certificates in university’s possession or pay a fine. Graduates share their challenging experience working without certificates. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE, FLORENCE UDOH and ADERONKE SONAIKE report.

    Since the Lagos State University (LASU) resolved last month to release 32,522 certificates in its possession, its graduates have been flocking the institution’s Ojo campus for collection.

    Once they pay the N5,000 processing fee, provide evidence of non-indebtedness, notification of results, final clearance and other necessary documents, their certificates were released to them.  Though the process has not been without hitches – as many graduates complained about the stress they are going through – they were relieved to get their certificates years after graduation.

    Many of those collecting their certificates are products of the LASU external system programme – which ran campuses in various parts of Lagos State between 2002 and 2017 when the National Universities Commission (NUC) banned the programme and directed the university to operate Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode of education instead for those who seek to combine work with studies.

    When the centres were in operation, it was a herculean task for students to get their results not to talk of certificates.

    Two former Vice-Chancellors of the university, Prof Lateef Hussain (2005-2010) and Prof John Obafunwa (2010-2015) complained about the pile of backlog of certificates they had to sign daily.

    However, when he came on board last year, Prof Lanre Fagbohun tackled the problem headlong. He set up a task force set up to sort out the issues relating to backlog of results.  This task force identified students who had fulfilled all requirements for graduation; those with outstanding courses; those that had abandoned their studies;and those not offered admission.

    The exercise helped in clearing the backlog of non-processed results and issuance of certificates.  The institution has set up special office to attend to the disbursement of the certificate weekdays until January 1, 2019.

    The Principal Assistant Registrar/Head, Certificate Unit, Mr Olabode Akinrimade, told The Nation that hundreds of candidates had come forward since the campaign started on November 12.

    He said: “A good number of them come around on a daily basis to collect their certificates. But the truth of the matter is that we still have this much in our custody which should not be and that is why the university management thought it wise to go about this exercise publishing it on its website and also running some jingles on some radio stations within Lagos to ensure that the attention of our graduates are brought to this situation that we are in. I will still want to implore them to please come and pick their certificate.”

    Even if the graduates do not have all documents required to claim their certificate the Principal Assistant Registrar said they would get help at the unit.

    He said: “The current administration has tried to put in place some measures to attend to graduates that  are unable to produce all these documents we are talking about.   If a graduate misplaces his clearance, final clearance certificate he could go and swear to an affidavit provided he has a notification of result, provided the university can establish that yes he indeed graduated which we can confirm from our convocation list and through his academic records by way of his academic profile.  All these documents are in our custody.”

    Akinrimade said the institution would convince the world that certificates are now ready on time in LASU.

    “The painful part of all this is what we hear especially from the news of our graduates complaining of not getting their certificates, so we are, by this exercise, trying to confirm that LASU as at today is able to make available the certificates of our graduates as when due,” he said.

    He added that the N15,000 penalty coming into force after January 1, 2019 was not to make money for the institution but to encourage graduates to come up for their certificates.  He said perhaps more graduates would be motivated to apply for their certificates if the institution stops the issuance of notification of results, which he said has a lifespan of two years.

    “A penalty fee of #15,000 seems punitive in the sense that yes they will pay N5,000 if they come on time and N15,000 later. So the N15,000 is actually to get them to come forward and pick this thing and not because the university management intends to make money. But the idea is to ensure that they should come forward and on time to take their certificate from the university

    “We are considering a situation where we would stop issuing notification of result. Notification of result has a life span of two years and after two years or before the expiration of that two years, we expect  a graduate to have approached the university to pick his certificate but our experience is that once they obtain their notification of results, and probably get jobs or are engaged in one form of endeavour or the other, they do not come back for the certificate and that is what has led to the this. So I believe if we stop the issuance of the notification of result, it would prompt graduates to come forward to pick their certificates as and when due,” he said.

    But Notification of Results has not served many of the graduates who collected their certificates when The Nation visited the university at various times last week well. They lamented loss of jobs, demotion, and loss of further education opportunities all because they did not have their certificates.

    Asagba Omorigbo Mary, who graduated in 2009 said she could not pursue further studies abroad because of an error on her notification of results and transcript and lack of certificate.

    She said: “I had issues with transcript because there was a mistake in the notification of my result.  My name were not correct, so I wrote a letter to the Exam Director, they made the correction and gave me my notification of result in my correct name. Later I did a transcript for revaluation in United Kingdom [UK] and by the time they sent my notification of result to UK, the names were not correct which means they did not correct the mistake in my profile, so it could not be used because it did not match my passport and they rejected it and my application for visa was suspended.

    “I almost wrote a letter to the Vice Councellor because some people working in the Exam Director Unit are very rude, impatient, they talk to you anyhow, they shout at you they bully you until I found a friendly one that helped me,” she said.

    Are Fausat Omoniyi, graduated in 2011 and since then could not get a job because she did not have a certificate.

    “I graduated in 2011.  I studied Business Administration.  I am doing nothing for now due to lack of certificate.  I tried collecting it before now but they did not attend to us. Anywhere I went to look for work they will ask for my certificate and since I did not have anything to showcase, I was not employed,” she said.

    One graduate of Banking and Finance who did not want to be named, said he lost his job because he had no certificate.

    “Where I worked before I was sacked. My certificate really affected me. It affected my job and it also delayed my promotion before I was laid off,” he said.

    Olukanni Kehinde Samuel, a Computer Science graduate since 2012, said the certificate would prove to his employers that he indeed studied Computer Science.

    “Of course I was pressurised at my work place. I have been pressing for this certificate since last year because of the company has been asking me to show my certificate.

    “There was even a time that a lawyer came to the company and that was when I had to push seriously for the certificate. We had one litigation issue then so the lawyer was now asking me the course I studied and my certificate. It was like they didn’t believe that I went to school or have a certificate. But now that  I have it, it is enough evidence to prove to them,” he said.

    Olawoye Abiola, a graduate of Economics Education (2014) said she has not had issues in the job market because she was self-employed.  She expressed joy getting her certificate.

    “I am self-employed and I am happy to have my certificate because it is unlike before that you will have to wait for like four or five years before you will get it. I applied for certificate April this year and I got it this year,” she said.