The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LASU

  • LASU alumni summit to end violence

    The Lagos State University Alumni Association has said it would not rest on its oars in ensuring that the 30-year-old institution is free from incessant violence and protests that have drawn it back since its inception.

    The association, as a result of this, is holding a  summit next week, where all unions and past  vice chancellors of the institution and other stakeholders are expected to present a position paper on how to end crisis in LASU for good.

    “The Lagos State University Alumni Association had lived up to its expectation in crisis management through the mediation. Meetings have been held with the various staff unions and the university management and, by extension, the State House of Assembly as well as the executive arm of the state , with a view  to  finding a lasting solution to the problems,” said the alumni national secretary Mr ‘Wale Anthony.

    In a statement titled: ‘LASU alumni Association Summit on Lagos State University Project’, Anthony sought the cooperation of all stakeholders in the forthcoming event, which holds next Thursday at De Hall, Obafemi Awolowo Way Ikeja, Lagos. Anthony expressed the hope that issues that have stunted the growth of the institution will be dissected for lasting solution.

  • A Fashion Week at LASU

    Communication Students’ Association (CSA) of the Lagos State University (LASU) has organised the second edition of their faculty’s Fashion Week.  The event was aimed at enabling fashion designers among students exhibit their wares to the people. The event took place at the faculty ground in Ojuelegba campus of the school.

    At the show, the fashion designers displayed how simplicity could be explored to achieve sophistication in fashion designing. The event started with a drama presentation by Broadcast students, after which models took to the runway to showcase different styles.

    The event was also as a re-union for Steve Onu Yaw, an on-air presenter at Wazobia Fm and his classmate, Oladotun Kayode of Cool FM. The students were thrilled with music performances. A student known as Nash on the campus wowed the audience with his performance of Baby Mo, which won him a live interview on Super Screen Television.

    The president of the association, Olamilekan Hassan, said the event was to create a platform for students, who are into fashion designing, modelling and bead making to display their articles, thereby creating jobs for them and fostering their spirit of entrepreneurship.

    Hassan praised the sponsors and students, who contributed to the success of the event.

    The Financial Secretary, Abayomi Ariba, said he was happy that the event went as planned, saying: “At first, I was having a negative feeling that it was not going to be successful.” He expressed gratitude to the sponsors that provided the finance.

    Adetoke Oluwo, a TV producer, hailed the association for the “impressive show”, advising girls to work harder to be successful in men’s world. “To be a celebrity is hard. It is not a mirage when you are talented. I used to be a banker but now, I am a TV presenter,” she advised.

    Kayode said he was elated to return to his alma mater after years of graduation. He advised students, who look up to him as a role model, to work hard and be focused.

    Yaw urged the students to always be thirsty for greatness. He admonished them not to relent in anything they do.

  • MISSING

    MISSING

    A student of Lagos State University (LASU), Titilope Oyinlola, has been declared missing.

    She was last seen leaving her hostel on October 13.

    If found, please contact 08032109631; 08064458595; 08064458595; 080141134568 or the nearest police station.

     

  • Gunuvi cultural festival begins Badagry tomorrow

    Gunuvi cultural festival begins Badagry tomorrow

    All is set for the hosting of the First Gunuvi Festival of Arts and Culture in Badagary, Lagos.

    As the festival starts tomorrow, Egun festival leaders are advocating a change in the educational system.

    They urged the government to learn from Asia where indigenous cultural practices and studies are included in school curriculum

    They made the call at a briefing in the Palace of the Akran of Badagry, Oba Aholu Menu Toyi I.

    According to the organisers, the Gunuvi Rights Initiative of Nigeria (GRIN), the festival is expected to bring together sons and daughters of Egunland from within and outside the country, the Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

    GRIN National Speaker, Comrade Bukoh Eseyido said the festival is part of moves to galvanise the rich cultural heritage of Egunland. The festival, he said, would correct misconceptions regarding some mores and cultural practises that prospered the people before the advent of the colonialists, there will be series of lectures during the festival featuring seasoned dons led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Sena Bakare, who will be presenting a paper on Nutritional benefits of local beverages as source of economic empowerment.  Other speakers include Dr Henry Hunjo and Dr Anthony Dasu.

    “In my opinion, the Westerners helped to under-develop us. Before the coming of the colonialist, our people have their practices and values that have kept the sanity and sanctity of the African society. There were wars and crisis but the people had their ways of solving them which were very effective. We would be revisiting such prosperous aspects of our culture. One of the lectures is focused on Education System in Oguland before the arrival of the Western World, which focused on re-orientating our leaders to revisit be looking at some of those One of these is through its educational We hope to showcase the rich cultural heritage of our land. It is hoped that the festival will unite all the people of Oguland.”

    It will feature lectures, awards, cultural exhibitions and displays and so on.

  • LASU’s external students stage protest at Alausa

    Scores of students of the Lagos State University External System (LASUES) staged a protest yesterday at the office of Governor Babatunde Fashola over alleged fraudulent practices and mass failure of undergraduates by the institution’s management.

    This came barely a month after Fashola reversed the tuition for the students to N25,000 at the last matriculation held at the school main campus, Ojo.

    The external system students were excluded in the tuition reversal.

    The students arrived at the office about 10a.m and barricaded the entrance, demanding that Fashola must resolve their demands before they would vacate the entrance.

    They brandished placards with inscriptions, such as, “Lack of proper academic calendar”, “Missing scripts and withheld results”, “Increment in tuition and poor management”, “We say no to one year academic semester”, “Our future; our life”, “Fashola, please save us” among others.

    Mr. Abolaji Azeez, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, complained aboutthe management of the system, adding that since 2012, LASUES has only conducted three examinations.

    He noted that this was not in accordance with global practices on education.

    They demanded for reduction in tuition fee from N68,700 to N38,700 for 500-Level, and N75,700 to N45,700 for students in 400-Level and from N95,700 to N65,700 for those in 300-Level.

  • Fashola’s reversal of LASU fees

    Fashola’s reversal of LASU fees

    One vital attribute every leader must possess in good measure is courage. Courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement. What lies at the heart of every courageous leader is not the absence of fear, but the conviction that the action he is about to take, or taking, is the appropriate one. Many leaders sometimes lack the courage to take critical decisions because of the fear of public perception. This, according to Confucius, is the worst kind of cowardice.

    The recent reversal of the Lagos State University (LASU) fee from N350,000 to the old rate of N25,000 across board by the State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, at the 19th convocation ceremony of the University in Lagos, has been described by many as   a courageous decision.  In a country where political leaders often rule in imperial fashion, the governor’s decision to resort to the old fee regime is seen as breath of fresh air. With the reduction, it is expected that the university could now run an uninterrupted academic calendar. An elated LASU Student Union President, Nurudeen Yusuf, commended Fashola for his kind gesture.”Today marks a significant day in the history of Lagos, with this development, we are optimistic that the future of Lagos is great,” he said.

    With this development, Governor Fashola had proved that he is a listening leader by wiping out the tears of the LASU students with the total reversal. The beauty of it all is that the gesture is a surprise package. It was unexpected because what the students proposed to the state government was N46,000 but the governor surprised them by reversing the fee back to N25,000.

    The governor and the students must be commended for resorting  to consultations in seeking the final resolution of the crisis.  It is, indeed, heartwarming to note that the students have also shown that they can choose the path of conflict resolution by reaching out to the state government. This is what is expected of leaders of tomorrow. It is particularly pleasing that the governor, in his words, was compelled to revert to the old fees as a result of the current economic situation of the country. This is a reflection of the humane side of the governor and his government.

    This is a further evidence of the Lagos State government stance to reposition education in the state. Governor Fashola recently  called on stakeholders to fashion out  means to re-invent the nation’s higher education to tackle its development challenges. The governor who made this charge at the 64th Foundation Day anniversary of the University of Ibadan, entitled, ‘Framework for reinventing higher education for Nigeria’s national development’, declared that in order to overcome the current challenges confronting the country there is an urgent need to restructure education at all levels.

    According to the governor: “In the 21st century, education will remain the most valuable currency that every nation will desire but which no central bank can print. Every nation must decide for herself how much of this currency she requires and set about how to acquire it. In order to agree on a Nigerian approach, I think we must agree on the purpose of education. For me, it is simply to refine and develop the quality of our human capital, which, is our most valuable resource”. According to him, if the nation defines its roles correctly and identifies its problems properly, it will not be difficult to develop an education framework that will take it to a place of pride.

    Being a man that practices what he preaches, the Lagos State government under his leadership is quietly but steadily working hard to improve the quality of education in the state. With particular reference to on-going development strides at the state owned Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, it is quite clear that genuine efforts are on to re-invent tertiary education in the state. Very soon, Lagosians would realise the LASU of our collective dream and aspiration as the government has embarked on a process that would attract the finest intellectual brains in the country to the school as lecturers . Similarly, the state government has renewed efforts to ensure that courses on offer at the institution  are accredited by the National University Commission, (NUC). Today,  85% of courses at the school have been accredited by the NUC.

    Indeed, the LASU School of Transportation , first of its kind in Nigeria, which is a response to contemporary necessity, has been  fully accredited by the NUC.  Equally, there is a massive infrastructural renewal project on-going at the school. Presently, the Students Arcade, Senate Building, Central Library, School of Transportation, Faculty of Law Auditorium, School of Management Sciences,  LASU International School, among others are at various stages of completion.

    Now that the LASU fees issue has been finally resolved, the state government must now concentrate on consolidating on infrastructure upliftment in the institution. Equally, the state government must ensure that no child who seeks education is left behind in the state. It is equally hoped that the management, staff and students of the institution will reciprocate the love and gesture of the state government by ensuring that academic activities run smoothly in the institution.

    If indeed, democracy is about the people, this is the time for our leaders to uphold the right concept of power for the good of the society. This is also the time for the followers to ask questions of their leaders. Government does not exercise power, rather, it is the concept of government, upheld by law, which exercises power. Democracy will be endangered, when political power actors assume that they wield power, and not, that power wields them.

    According to Mao Tse–tung , the founder of  the People’s Republic of China: “Our duty (as leaders of the people)  is to hold ourselves responsible to the people. Every word, every act and every policy must conform to the people’s interests, and if mistakes occur, they must be corrected – that is what being responsible to the people means”.

     

    • Ogunbiyi is of features unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy.

     

     

  • Fashola’s men and their 2015 ambition

    Fashola’s men and their 2015 ambition

    Ahead of next year’s elections, members of the Lagos State Executive Council are nursing ambitions for elective offices. Correspondent MIRIAN EKENE-OKORO examines how far they can go.

    One thing that cannot be taken away from the Lagos State Executive Council headed by Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is the team spirit.

    The decision to work as a team has obviously paid-off in the last seven and half years. It has led to effective administration. According to observers, the Fashola Admninistration has built on the foundation laid by its predecessor, the Tinubu Administration.

    Fashola is a trail blazer. The number of developmental projects embarked upon by him attests to his vision and determination to catapult the state to the horizon of progress.

    The achievements of the administration has elicited applause from home and abroad. This credit is shared by him and the egg heads in his cabinet. However, on May 29, next year, the governor will pass the baton to his successor.

    There are some members of the executive council itching to succeed the governor. Their supporters believe that they have what it takes to serve Lagosians as the number one citizen.

    Top on the list is the Works Commissioner, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat. He is the son of the eminent politician and monarch, the Olu of Afowora Sogaade, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Olatunji Hamzat. He is the brother of Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, who had been in the House of Representatives since 1999. His mother is from Epe, Lagos East District. Between 2005 and 2011, he was Commissioner for Science and Technology. In 2011, he became the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under Fashola.

    Hamzat is a brilliant technocrat. He holds a doctorate degree. As Science and Technology Commissioner, he  introduced the Oracle Technology to boost data and record keeping by the government. The move led to the elimination of ghost workers in the state’s civil service.

    Four years before he resumed at the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, the ministry was under the supervision of a Special Adviser, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson. He has sustained the tempo of the infrastructure battle. Under him, Lagos has become a huge construction site. The governor has tremendous respect for Hamzat. In fact, in the cabinet, he is perceived as the defacto deputy governor because of the responsibilities delegated to him by Fashola. This has led to a sort of rivalry in the cabinet.

    The billboards and posters of Hamzat are visible in the metropolis. He has a solid support base. His father’s colleagues in the old Justice Forum are rooting for him. But, prominent Lagosians have objected to his ambition on the ground that he hails from Ogun State. Few months ago, the Olowo-Eko of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, said that community elders and chiefs will not support the ambition of the Ewekoro prince. Despite this, Hamzat appears to be a formidable aspirant.

    Another contender is the Commissioner for Transport, Comrade Kayode Opeifa.He is the son of the Asiwaju of Aworiland, Pa Opeifa of Orile-Agege. He was one of the early leaders of the Campaign for Democracy in Lagos. Opeifa was a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, before he travelled abroad for further studies.

    Opeifa was appointed as the Special Adviser on Transportation  in 2007. He was a House of Representatives aspirant in Agege Constituency. When the ticket for the legislative seat eluded him, he did not betray the party. He supported the candidate, Hon. Samuel Adejare at the poll.

    The human rights activist has also served the state as a member of the Lagos State Scholarship Board, Bursary Awards Screening Committee, 1992-1997, and Lagos State Forum. He was a member the Alliance for Democracy, United States Chapter, and founding member of the Action Congress (USA) and Action Congress, Lagos State.

    The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA),  former Director-General and Special Adviser on Public Private Partnership (PPP) Scheme, is eyeing the governorship. He is popular in the financial sector. He is a first class technocrat. But, he has little political experience.

    His supporters have said that his late entry into politics will not be a barrier. They recalled that Fasola did not have any party card, until he became an aspirant in 2007.

    Gbeleyi’s counterpart in the Ministry of  Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, is another aspirant. The former police officer was the former aide-de-camp to former Governor Bola Tinubu.

    There are other members of the executive council who are eyeing other elective positions.

    The deputy governor, Mrs Tawakalitu Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, is said to be eyeing the House of Representatives seat in Alimoso Constituency. The lawmaker from the constituency, Hon. Olamilekan Adeola, is returning to Ogun State to vie for the senatorial slot in the Yewa/Awori District.

    Orelope-Adefulire was born into active politics. Her father, Pa Karimu Laka Orelope, is an Awoist and one of the pillars of the progressive bloc in Alimoso. In the Third Republic, she was a member of the House of Assembly. He was the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). Between 2003 and 2011, she was a commissioner under Tinubu and Fashola.

    Orelope-Adefulire was not a dormant commissioner. She introduced skills acquisition training programmes for unemployed youths.  Her passion for youth development led to the establishment of 17 Skill Acquisition Training Centres. About 9, 000 beneficiaries have graduated annually from the centres.

    As an advocate of child survival, protection and development, she co-sponsored the passage of the Child Rights Law in 2007.  She has worked hard to ensure that every child is given equal opportunity to education and medical care, irrespective of status, gender and background.

    Another cabinet member nursing ambition is the political scientist and journalist,  Mr. Tunji Bello, who is a two-time Commissioner for Environment. He has been described as  a‘round peg in a round hole’. So far, he has lived up to expectation. Flooding has reduced in Lagos, owing to his campaign against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on drainage channels and canals, the  clearing of drainage channels and the construction of new channels.

    The Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Bosun Jeje, is warming up for the House of Representatives election in Kosofe Constituency. Many believe that he was the choice of the constituency at the shadow poll in 2011. Before he ventured into politics, he was a successful banker and private investor. Jeje is also a lawyer.

    Former Special Adviser on Central Business District (CBD) Mrs. Derele Disu, who resigned few weeks ago, is said to be eyeing the deputy governorship. But, family members have disputed this, pointing out that her husband, Kunle Disu, is a governorship aspirant.

    The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ademorin Kuye, has been drafted into the senatorial race in Lagos East by party elders. Their argument is that no senator has come from Somolu/Bariga axis of the district.

    Kuye is a loyal party man. The lawyer is a former Chairman of Somolu Local Government. However, his supporters said that the contest is not a do or die affair for him.

    Also, the Commissioner for Rural Development, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, is eyeing the House of Representatives seat in Ojo Constituency. He is a former council chairman and federal legislator. During the primaries in 2011, he was persuaded to jettison his second term ambition. The ticket was given to Hon. Toyin Suarau, the son of the political leader, the late Pa Suarau.

    The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Hon. Lateef Raji, is an aspirant for the House of Representatives in Osodi/Isolo Constituency. The historian is the former secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AD). He contested for the seat in 2011. But, the ticket was given to Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, who was elected into the House in 2007.

  • LASU VC praises lawmaker

    Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof John Obafunwa, has praised a lawmaker, Dayo Bush-Alebisosu, for facilitating the donation of 110 laptops to the institution.

    He said at the university’s convocation that the donation followed the selection of the university as a beneficiary of the Advanced Digital Access Programme for Tertiary Institution (ADAPTI), a school support initiative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    He said Bush-Alebiosu’s recommendation was instrumental to the university’s selection for the programme.

    Bush-Alebiosu, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties and Agreements, said he believes in the power of education to prepare youths for leadership.

    He added that he facilitated a similar project for Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School – apart from various other projects he has implemented in schools within his constituency in Kosofe.

    Beneficiary schools include Expressway Primary School, Ikosi-Ketu;  Oworonshoki Primary School, Oworonshoki and  Orishigun Primary School, Ketu where blocks of classrooms were built, desks, benches, teaching aids for their teachers and instructors as well as textbooks for pupils, instructional materials have been provided.

    The lawmaker concluded that though the primary responsibility of lawmakers is to make laws for the good governance of the country, he would always put in his efforts in the provision of developmental projects and amenities the constituency and the state at large.

     

  • Activist praises Fashola on LASU fees’ slash

    Activist praises Fashola on LASU fees’ slash

    AN Ekiti State activist, Morakinyo Ogele, has praised the recent slash in university tuition fees by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola.

    He described it as the best legacy the governor could bequeath to the people.

    The activist said Fashola has shown through the reduction that if Nigeria

    must attain its pride of place in the comity of nations, qualitative

    education must be made accessible to the people.

    Ogele said the governor, by the act, has “rekindled the light of hope in the minds of the hapless and hopeless children of the poor.”

    He said the governor has demonstrated yet again that free and compulsory education is the best legacy that any government owed its citizens.

    He added that by the reduction, the governor has demystified the “blind assumptions that free qualitative education is not achievable.”

    Ogele called on Fashola’s counterparts in other states to take a cue from Lagos and pursue an education policy that would be pro-people.

    He lauded the Ogun and Oyo State governors for blazing the trail and acceding to the requests of students to slash fees in the states’ owned institutions.

  • We have problems, says LASU Council chair

    The Chairman of Governing Council Lagos State University (LASU), Mr Olabode Agusto, has  said the 30-year-old university has enormous problems which can only be addressed by the joint efforts of stakeholders.

    This is coming on the heels of the reverting of the school fees to the old the N25,000 by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

    The announcement at the university’s 19th convocation has jolted students, parents and teachers into celebrations. However, Augusto said it is about time LASU becaame more creative in attracting funds to make it more productive and world-class.

    In his address at the convocation, which witnessed award of higher degrees, on Thursday last week, Agusto said individuals with suggestions on how to move LASU forward must find a common ground.

    “In the rest of the year, we shall engage each of our stakeholders groups. We need your help in order to provide 21st century skills to our next generation of leaders. A wind of change must begin to blow over LASU to enable us deliver the LASU we envision,” Agusto said.

    Funding a 21-century university, Agusto stressed, was capital-intensive. He alluded to the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Nigeria Universities (ASUU), which estimates that each student in Nigeria universities needs N2.6million for quality education, translating to 36 per cent of the national budget. According to him, no government is most likely to shoulder such huge financial responsibility amid other pressing challenges in other sectors.

    At the inception, LASU tuition was pegged at N250 before it was later reviewed to an upward N25,000 in 2005 under the administration of the immediate Vice-Chancellor Prof Lateef Akanni Hussein.  It was later increased to between N198,000 and N350,000 under the tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa in 2011.  Following repeated protest by students this year, government slashed down the increment by 34 to 60 per cent on June 11. In June 20, the LASU management released the naira and kobo version of the reduction which ranged from from N76,750 (Faculty of Arts) and N158,250 (Faculty of Engineering and College of Medicine).

    To realised more funding for LASU, Agusto urges the management to establish a viable financial aid program for poor students willing to learn; provide professionally and financially rewarding careers to workers, and beautify the university environment. Sponsors, Agusto stressed, must also be determined to make input into the education of their wards.

    Other measures, according to him, include ensuring uninterrupted academic calendar, making the university viable to providing consulting and other services to governments/private sectors, and improving on the quality of her graduates which will in turn tell on the public perception of the university.

    This year’s convocation witnessed a very dismal turnout of graduands which the university put at 9,169 comprising Full time, Part Time and Diploma. Also conspicuously absent was the Best Graduating Student- Ajayi Idowu Iseoluwa with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.67 in Electronics &Computer Engineering.

    Except Oredeyin Oluwadamilola Olatunji from the School of Transport; Anuforo Anderson Chidi from the School of Communications, as well as Seriki Tosin Victoria from the Faculty of Management Sciences, others students who emerged overall best in their various faculties were not on ground to receive their awards.

    On the other hand, the occasion was also a litmus test for the newly-appointed Registrar Mr Akinwumi Lewis who for the first time, organised the convocation.

    Ahead of the convocation, which was slated for February, this year, the university was embroiled in crisis bordering on the management refusal to open examination portals ahead of the second semester examination. This put a clog in the wheel of the graduation as the university was temporarily shut and had to be reopened in phases. After the examination, the Students Union  protested to force state government to reduce the tuition which was introduced three years ago.

    ASUU and SSANU were later to commence industrial actions for the same reasons and members’ welfare. The groups were prevailed upon to sheathe sword so that students could graduate and   mobilised for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)  pragramme.