The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LASU

  • Lagos refunds N209m to LASU students

    Lagos refunds N209m to LASU students

    c he Lagos State government began yesterday the reimbursement of N209 million to the students of the State University (LASU), in the aftermath of the reversal of school fees by the government

    The amount is part of the fee paid by the students before the reversal of the tuition fee to N25,000 by Governor Babatunde Fashola last year.

    Presenting cheques to some of the beneficiaries at the LASU Main Auditorium, Ojo, Lagos, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Fatai Olukoga said the N209 million is the first tranche of refund.

    No fewer than 900 Direct Entry students in their 100 and 200 levels were the first beneficiaries of the N209million, while the other set of students are expected to be captured in the second tranche.

    Olukoga, who represented Governor Babatunde Fashola, said the money released was N209, 874million and the balance would be released later.

    According to him, when the government reversed the fees, many people dubbed it political.

    “We are also not unaware of the moves by stakeholders to frustrate our efforts at ensuring the quality of LASU programmes. Notwithstanding the frustration, we are relentlessly committed to making LASU a world class university of our time.

    “Information at our disposal reveals that initial computation of excess money to be refunded to 100 Level and 200 Level Direct Entry students for 2013/14 academic session stood at N209.874 million.

    “However, following the release of the fund, the university management later reported a shortfall in computed excess money to be refunded, particularly to those in 200 Level-400 Level. The shortfall would be released after the reconciliation is over.”

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Obafunwa, said 5,031 students are expected to be refunded at the end of the first and second tranche, affirming that in the first tranche, N209, 874 million was released for disbursement.

    He said the school is still expecting N89 million to be released by the government, which would come under the second tranche.

  • LASU matriculates 3,143

    Vice-Chancellor (VC), Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. John Obafunwa, has urged parents and well-meaning Nigerians to donate towards boosting the image of the institution.

    Obafunwa made the appeal yesterday at the matriculation of 3,143 newly admitted students.

    The VC solicited the co-operation of parents and guardians in joining the LASU Parents’ Forum to participate in moulding the character of the students to become responsible fellows in the future.

    He said 3,143 were cleared for the matriculation of the 4,166 candidates  offered admission for the 2014/2015 academic session.

    “The breakdown is as follows: Faculty of Arts (473); Faculty of Management Science (717); Faculty of Social Science (478); Faculty of Science (567); Faculty of Education (474); School of Communication  (107).

    “College of Medicine (Physiology inclusive) (102); Faculty of Engineering (181) and Faculty of Transport (44).

    “The 2014/2015 admission exercise was transparent and based on merit.

    “The Lagos State government has been magnanimous in reducing the school fees to N25,000 to allow more students intake,’’ the VC said.

  • LASU-ASUU factions disagree on protest

    LASU-ASUU factions disagree on protest

    •Lagos zone insists protest must hold

    Two factions of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University Chapter, are bickering, following a planned protest today.

    A faction, led by Interim Chairman Asokere Idris, yesterday held a briefing at LASU, Ojo Campus, urging the university community not to support the planned rally by the Lagos Zone (encompassing University of Lagos (UNILAG), LASU, and Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU).

    The Lagos zone at a briefing at the UNILAG-ASUU secretariat said the rally would hold to pressure Governor Babatunde Fashola to intervene in the problems in LASU, particularly the alleged witch-hunting of ASUU members by the Vice Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa.

    Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Lagos Zone, Dr Adesola Nassir, said the union do not recognise the Asokere-led faction, stating that Dr Adekunle Idris, whose PhD was withdrawn by the university in a controversial manner, remain the true ASUU-LASU executive.

    He said: “We will be staging a rally with other civil society groups to further call the attention of the people in Lagos State and Governor Babatunde Fashola government to the brewing crisis at LASU.

    “If the crisis is not arrested we are certain the consequence will not be in the interest of the Lagos State government. For the umpteenth time therefore, we are asking the governor and Visitor to call the VC to order. The alternative is to watch the school snowball into more crisis with the attendant implications.”

    Asokere, at the LASU briefing, said there was total accord in the university, except for the external elements trying to instigate some aggrieved members of the union to foment trouble and destabilise its system.

    He said: “I want to quickly address the call to a protest march slated for today by Comrade Aremu of JAF.

    “Many text messages have been circulated in the last few days by an unknown Dr. Idris, giving reasons for the protest.

    “Some of the reasons given were victimisation of students and lecturers.

    “Secondly, they cited an intention to increase LASU school fees and thirdly they mentioned disruption of academic freedom. We are constrained to state that such a rally is not justified.”

    He explained that there was no plan to increase the university tuition fees, or records of any member being victimised.

    “Students need to be informed that political thuggery may come in different guises, including this one that wears the cloak of a peaceful rally. Parents are  advised not to allow their children and wards to be used by agents of political parties, who are disguising to be unionists.”

  • ASUU seeks visitation panel for LASU

    ASUU seeks visitation panel for LASU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Calabar Zone has urged the Lagos State government to constitute a visitation panel for the Lagos State University to investigate the alleged ‘gromy impunity and recklessness of its management.

    In a statement signed by the zonal co-coordinator of the union, Dr Nsing Ogar; the secretary, Dr Charles Obot and branch chairmen, the union claimed that if the state fails to intervene, the crisis in the university may degenerate further.

    “We believe that without this being done, the situation in LASU will deteriorate to the level that meaningful academic work would no longer be guaranted,” the statement reads.

    The union’s claim is in light of the withdrawal of PhDs of 17 academics by the Senate of the university last month, including that of the ASUU-LASU Chairman, Dr Adekunle Idris.

    The union accused LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa, of adopting ‘repressive tactics’ to silence his perceived enemies and claimed he was persecuting ASUU members because they fought on the side of students for tuition fees reduction.

    “The zone condemns the highhandedness of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. John Oladapo and the LASU administration, which if not checked, has the tendency of being replicated in public universities in the country with its attendant terrible consequences,” it said.

     

  • LASU launches website to boost pupils’ performance

    In order to boost the performance of candidates in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Lagos State University (LASU) has launched an e-learning website to enhance learning in six subjects.

    The launch, which held at the institution’s faculty of education boardroom, was the intervention stage of the Lagos State Government-LASU e-learning and social media project designed to provide lessons for students in English, Mathematics, Biology, Commerce, Chemistry and Physics.

    Project Director, Prof. Peter Okebukola, said the project has a lot of benefits to the students such as presentation of lessons and past questions through social media.

    He said: “The intervention phase being launched today will present 72 learner-friendly lessons to students on topics they indicated as difficult in six target subjects; deliver the lessons through mobile phones; social media and e-learning platforms, present SSCE and UTME pass questions and answers on each topic and also highlight common errors students make in school and public examinations on difficult topics in the six target subjects.”

    Okebukola noted that majority of students who have phones now use them for social media thereby necessitating the need to make learning available through the social media.

    “A good number of secondary school students are addicted to social media interactions offered through the platform of face book and twitter. Since students congregate around such media, it is helpful to embed teaching and learning of perceived different topics into their use so that students can be served where their hearts are,” he said.

    In his address, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. John Obafunwa who commended the research team for their feat also described it as an interaction between the gown and town. He urged secondary school pupils to use social media to aid their studies rather than for things that are not beneficial.

    “I want to believe our secondary school students would appreciate this project and buy into it. The time we waste on social media can be spent updating ourselves. One thing that is very striking here is that we are witnessing another major interaction between the gown and town. If there is anything we should be proud of I think that one is a great achievement, above all, this is something we should be proud of and buy into it” he said.

    In his message, the Chairman, Lagos State Research and Development Grant Council (LRDC), Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, emphasized the importance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in improving access to education, adding that the adoption of ICT method by the research team to solve some of the problems in education sector is a commendable effort. Bamiro who expressed optimism about the success of the project noted that the project would set the state on the path of digital revolution.

    He said: “The potential of ICT to improve access is made possible by the development of customized educational programmes that can reach students all across the country as being demonstrated by the project being launched today. The research team should be commended for the adopted methodology to address the problem of quality and relevance of the curriculum.

    “The present project is setting Lagos State on the path of digital revolution that will transcend the present scope of courses and geographical spread. LRDC can hardly wait for the results of the present experiment, which, to my mind is primed to succeed. Its success will set the stage for additional flow of resources in the delivery of education in the state and beyond.”

    In her goodwill message, the Dean Faculty of Education, Prof. Ayo Badejo described the project as a good development and innovation, stressing that it would go a long way to increase access to formal education and make learning pleasurable for senior secondary school students. She therefore urged the research team to extend the project to the pupils in the junior secondary and upper primary schools.

     

  • ASUU urges Fashola to rescue LASU from ‘tyranny’

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abuja Zone, has faulted the leadership style of the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. John Obafunwa.

    The union also called on the visitor to the university and Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to rescue the situation.

    Coordinator of ASUU, Abuja Zone, Dr. Suleimen Mohammed, told journalists in Abuja that the VC should be called to order for victimizing ASUU members and reducing promotion criteria to mere reward system.

    He said: “As we know, evil is contagious and like an epidemic, would soon spread across the universities in Nigeria. ASUU-ABUJA Zone hereby calls on well-meaning Nigerians to join forces with ASUU to crush this evil that has crept into LASU before it destroys the university. In the same vein, the Union calls on the Visitor to the University and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fasola (SAN), to urgently come to the aid of the university and rescue it from tyranny, misrule and mediocrity, so as to restore the eroded past glory of the University.

    “Promotion amongst academics in any normal University is based on scholarly productivity and time-in rank provisions as specified in the Appointments and Promotions guidelines of a University. However, Obafunwa has eroded this culture in the Lagos State University. He has reduced promotions criteria to mere reward system, to reward those who assist him in his maladministration and misrule; yea, those who help him to destroy LASU. While J. O. Obafunwa is yet to circulate the Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) Forms for the 2013 promotion exercise as stipulated in the promotions guideline of LASU, Obafunwa has selectively promoted his cronies and partners in crime!

    “Apart from this selective promotion programme for cronies, Obafunwa introduced an alien concept into the promotion exercise of the academics at LASU. He devised a new term promotion, ‘promotion to vacancy’ in LASU. Under this scheme, academics are supposed to be promoted if and only if there is vacancy for such promotion. This is worrisome and betrays the inexperience of the Vice Chancellor in the proper running of a University system. The truth is that professors in a particular department have their areas of expertise and one cannot block the promotion of another.

    “Only recently, Obafunwa and his stooges/cronies turned their destructive machinery against the incumbent Chairperson of ASUU-LASU, Dr Adekunle A. Idris, stripping him of the PhD he earned several years ago, all in the name of the Senate of the Lagos State University not properly wording the degree.

    “The sin of these men for which they and many others in the Lagos State University are being persecuted is simply their insistence on observance of due process and strict adherence to best academic practices. We believe these men are men of courage who dare to fight for justice for all and specifically for the system in which they work- LASU.”

    Present at the briefing was the former ASUU President and trustee member, Dr. Dipo Fashina who also said strike may not be ruled out of this situation if nothing is done adding that justice and equality must prevail. He said ASUU has held series of strike for the same cause in the past and that the voice of the union is very strong on issues like this.

  • ASUU rejects interim exco in LASU

    ASUU rejects interim exco in LASU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos zone, has affirmed the leadership of Dr Adekunle Idris-led executive of the Lagos State University (LASU) chapter.  It disowned the Asokere Ayodele-led interim Executive Committee.

    Last Friday, Asokere and three others, Mr Sunday Afobunor, Dr Rasaq Olowu, and Dr Olateju Olawale, announced Idris’ suspension and the formation of an interim executive committee.

    During an emergency briefing at the LASU Ojo campus, on Tuesday, Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Lagos Zone, Dr Adesola Nasir, said those beind the interim government were suspended members, who have not realigned themselves into the union.

    ASUU Lagos zone comprises the University of Lagos (UNILAG); LASU; Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB); Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye (OOU); and the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED).

    Nasir reiterated that ASUU is indivisible, and capable of determining when there is need to remove an erring officer, or install an interim executive.

    “We hereby wish to state unequivocally that Dr Adekunle Idris-led executive is the only one known to ASUU at both national and zonal levels.  While noting the activities of the suspended members of ASUU which are clearly anti-union, we urge them to seek redress within the stipulated guidelines in the union’s constitution if indeed it is the interest of the union that they are defending as claimed,” he said.

    Nasir explained that ASUU code of conduct states that a would-be chairman must neither be a student in any institution, nor on sabbatical leave, noting that both Asokere and Afobunor are still pursuing their PhD programmes therefore they are still considered ‘students’ and cannot man ASUU.

    Nasir also accused Obafunwa of dabbling into the union’s activities by using its suspended members to fight them.

    “We have also observed that the university has become embroiled in some meddlesomeness in staff activities by allowing a university organ to collude with some suspended members of our union to foment crisis in LASU.

    Nasir insists that the management is victimising members for protesting against promotion and winning the war against reduction in school fees which Governor Babatunde Fashola eventually bowed to at the university’s 19th convocation in August.

    He said the last ASUU-LASU strike in May was appropriately requested for, and was granted by ASUU national before member embarked on it.

    Nasir reeled out the 20 suspended ASUU members, vowing that their names will be circulated among its chapters nationwide.

    He noted that ASUU-LASU and other unions and students that fought against the school fees deserve a pat on the back, as against the alleged victimisation by management.

    Nasir said the call by workers for another visitation panel should be championed by Obafunwa himself if he is truly convinced of his determination to clean the system.

    “A transparent vice-chancellor should be the one to ask government for a visitation panel. This is because such panel will expose the rot in the system and make government see those who are clogs in the wheel of progress. But he (Obafunwa) has been frustrating the move for a panel,” Nasir said.

     

  • Intrigues of LASU crisis

    Intrigues of LASU crisis

    How many members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, suspended Adekunle Idris as chairman?  What were their grievances?  What is the reason behind the withdrawal of his PhD certificate?  Is he being victimised? These are some of the questions being asked as  LASU reels under another crisis. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE, ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA and MEDINAT KANABE report. 

    In the past two weeks, there has been disquiet at the Lagos State University (LASU).  First, the management withdrew 19 PhDs awarded in the past five years in the Faculty of Management Sciences.  One of those affected was the ASUU-LASU Chairman, Adekunle Idris.

    Idris was awarded a PhD in Business Administration (Marketing) in 2012.  The university’s position is that the award amounts to double honours, which does not obtain at PhD level.  The embattled ASUU chair has taken the university to court.

    Idris was consequently suspended by a faction of the union, which claimed to have lost confidence in him.  Students joined the fray when they disrupted a meeting of the ASUU because they thought it was to discuss “plans to go on strike.”

    Who is responsible for this crisis? in the 30-year-old institution.   While Idris is accusing the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof John Obafunwa, of masterminding the withdrawal of his PhD and turning the students and the ASUU faction against him. But  Obafunwa said he has nothing against Idris.

    The ASUU faction is asking the national body to intervene in the crisis to save the union.  The feuding groups state their cases to The Nation.

  • NAN lauds LASU for embracing agency journalism

    The Management of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday lauded the School of Communication of Lagos State University (LASU), for embracing news agency reporting.

    Malam Yusuf Zango, a Managing Editor, Editorial Operations in NAN, Lagos, made the commendation when students of the Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication visited the Lagos office of the agency.

    “I am happy and impressed that LASU as a university is going specialised in news agency reporting as it is not a course offered by most universities in the country.

    “Your university is moving with the trend as news agency reporting has become the in-thing in journalism.

    “Being versatile in news agency reporting, you will be able to work in all arms of the media industry such as the print and the electronic’’, he said.

    He advised the students to show uncommon interest in the programme, assuring them that with mastery of it, the sky would be their limit professionally in future.

    Zango, also a director, informed the students that the agency had become a multi-media content provider for its growing clientele.

    “The agency now sends out text, audio and video materials as well as still pictures to its clients in line with the practice by other international news agencies’’, he said.

    According to him, the agency will soon commence broadcasting of its services via the various television stations in the country.

    Mr. Dele Bodunde, a Deputy Editor-In- Chief (DEIC), explained that the agency was established to gather news from all nooks and cranny of the country and sell to its subscribers.

    Bodunde urged the students to be hardworking and creative in order to make their marks in journalism.

    He cautioned them to always attend assignments armed with their writing materials alongside their tape recorders.

    “Your electronic gadgets may disappoint you at any time but your reporter’s notebook will serve as your back-up,’’he said.

  • ASUU, SSANU seek another visitation panel in LASU

    The Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, has said it is pitching its tent behind the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the university by inviting a visitation panel to review activities under the Vice-Chancellor Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa.

    Both unions are alleging that management is victimising their members, and stalling members’ promotion, issuing unwarranted queries and setting up kangaroo disciplinary panel for members on unsubstantiated allegations.

    ASUU also accused management of encouraging a parallel senate, irregular appointments, improper composition of Council, doctoring of documents and misguiding Governing Council on the true state of the institution, among others.

    Of greater concern to both unions however, is the review of all appointments and promotions under the present administration some of which the unions contends did not follow due process, but were rather done to favour Obafunwa’s friends and cronies.

    Nearly, four years ago, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, set up a visitation panel to review activities of LASU,under the previous administration headed by Prof later Akanni Hussein.

    The Chairman of SSANU-LASU Comrade Oseni Saheed, told The Nation at the union office in LASU on Friday, that the union has not gone to bed over its agitation; rather it has decided to keep a low profile in order not to be labelled a clog in the wheel of progress.

    “All the things we have been agitation for including promotions of our members are still there,” Oseni said. “Remember that we even staged a protest during the last convocation which got the attention of the governor. However, we do not want government to see us as enemies or unnecessary trouble makers; that is why we have decided to suspend every agitation for now.

    “But we have a shocker for the management. We won’t tell them when to strike but they will hear from us soon. SSANU-LASU is also using this opportunity to appeal to government to visit LASU to a get true picture of situations on ground. Our management is not telling government the truth.”

    ASUU-LASU chairman Dr Adekunle Idris, said the call became necessary to salvage another imminent chaos in the university and to also ensure members’ interest are safeguarded.

    In a briefing at the university premises on Wednesday last week, Dr Idris said ASUU had made all necessary steps to toe the line of peace, noting that management is bent on compound situation in the three decade-old institution.

    ASUU Zonal Coordinator (Lagos) Dr Sola Nasir, said the union had met with Obafunwa on several occasion but the latter merely pretends to listen, only to backpedal on any agreement reached by the two parties.

    For instance, Nasir said members’ promotion for last year was inconclusive, adding that no measure has so far been taken on this year.

    Said Nasir: “No APER (Annual Performance Evaluation Report” form is circulated among academic staff. However, advertisement for appointments has been sent out.  True to the character of the present administration, appointment is being used to replace promotion. Openings were advertised to promote some individuals who are oiling the ego and assisting the vice-chancellor in his scheme of destruction. This is not the acceptable culture in the academia. ASUU would not allow any form of patronage in the system,” the union said.

    Nasir also questioned the rationale for the appointment of the new HoDs. He noted that though, such appointment is the prerogative of the vice-chancellor, yet they were not done in line with best practices. According to him, those whose names were submitted by the deans of various faculties (who are supposedly closer to the departments) for such appointment were rejected by management.

    ASUU further lamented that some academic misfits were being elevated at the expense of deserving members.

    “The vice-chancellor appointed and promoted candidates that are neither appointable nor promotable. He appointed a candidate to the position of a Senior Lecturer with two academic journals in the Faculty of Law. He also appointed an individual as a professor with less than 15 papers contrary to the principles and rules governing promotions and appointments. These 15 papers included lecture notes and conference proceedings while the percentage of acceptable papers could not have earned him a Senior Lecturer status.