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Tag: LASU

  • SSANU-LASU: why we suspended strike

    SSANU-LASU: why we suspended strike

    It was a heated meeting on Monday when members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU- Lagos State University (LASU) broke into camps on whether to call off their three month-old strike or not.

    At the end, congress agreed to ‘suspend’ the strike for 12 weeks to give the government the benefit of the doubt.

    The strike was embarked upon to force the management to reverse the ‘No Vacancy, No Promotion’ policy, improved welfare for members, among other demands.

    And for LASU, the suspension is a big relief; as it means SSANU will join the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which called off its nearly six-month national strike in December.

    An authoritative source said the suspension was partly because SSANU has a copy of the resolution of the committee set up by the Lagos Sate government to wade into the crisis affecting all workers in LASU; and also based on what SSANU Chairman Comrade Oseni Saheed called, “consistency of Governor Babatunde Fashola to walk his talk.”

    The Nation gathered that in November, all the unions in LASU met with the committee, which promised to make available its resolution soonest. However, SSANU-LASU declined the committee’s request to call off its strike, insisting that the resolutions must be made available first.

    The crisis reached a crescendo last week Monday when a conversation between the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa and Comrade Oseni, degenerated into open confrontation with the latter alleging a threat to his life.

    The day after the incident (Tuesday), the university issued an order directing SSANU members who still loved their jobs to fill various attendance registers signifying their non-alignment with the strike. This development further infuriated members of the union. During an emergency congress on Wednesday, they resolved to continue the strike. It took the intervention of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, who met with the union at the main campus on Thursday, to placate them.

    Olukoga, sources said, also promised to make the yet-to-be-ratified resolution available to the union.

    “We have gone through the resolution and the details are quite encouraging; and since we know that the resolution will still have to be ratified by the Executive Council, we have decided to suspend the strike for three months to give government the benefit of the doubt,” Saheed told our reporter on Monday.

    “We also believe Governor Fashola is straightforward. He is the type that keeps to promises. He also listening ears, so we are very hopeful. However, we are using this platform to passionately appeal to government to prevail on the LASU management not to victimise any of our members for their participation on the strike.

    “As a union, we have every right to fight for our rights and protect our members’ interest provided what we are doing is within the confines of the law. We are a peace-loving union and I can assure you that now that the strike is suspended, peace will prevail on campus. We shall all work to ensure that LASU achieve greatness,” Oseni added.

     

  • ASUU-LASU regrets not joining fee hike protest

    ASUU-LASU regrets not joining fee hike protest

    TWO years after, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, has apologised to students of the university for not supporting them during their protest over fee hike in the institution.

    Speaking at a briefing, its Chairman, Dr Adekunle Idris, said events had shown that the increase was wrong, noting that the number of candidates seeking admission into the school had dropped.

    He said no university is run only on school fees.

    Idris, who noted that the apology was coming late, said: “It is better to be late to apologise than never.”

    He also said the union would call for strike if the university management does not meet their demands.

    The ASUU boss said the motion for the strike would be tabled at the union’s congress later this month, if their requests were not attended to.

    He said the national body of ASUU was aware of the issue.

    He accused the university management of not being sensitive to the situation on campus.

    He said: “At all press contacts during the national strike, ASUU-LASU always impressed on stakeholders to intervene so that students can enjoy uninterrupted school calendar after the struggle, which they fail to do.”

    On their demands, he said the governing council must implement the Universities (Miscellaneous provisions) amendment Act 2012, passed by the Federal Government, for the effective running of universities, which the Lagos State Government had agreed to implement.

    Other demands are: the immediate regularisation of appointments for academic staff members on temporary appointment and recall of those among them who were disengaged unjustly; abolition of the ‘no vacancy, no promotion’ policy; payment of balance of the 17-month salary arrears, restructuring of courses in LASU to follow the submissions of faculties and the downward review of LASU school fees.

    Idris said though ASUU-LASU leaders have met with the university management, no agreement had been reached.

    He accused the management of victimising the lecturers, adding that their December salary had not been paid despite the ‘Non-Victimisation clause’, in the FGN/ASUU agreement.

     

  • Another ASUU strike looms in LASU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, said on Monday it will call for strike if the university management does not meet their demands.

    It said the motion for the strike will be decided at their congress slated for early January, if no tangible progress is made.

    This was disclosed by the Chairman of ASUU-LASU, Dr. Adekunle Idris, at a press conference held at the university campus.

    Idris said the national body of ASUU is aware that the issue had been there before the national strike commenced on July 1.

    He accused the university management of not being sensitive to the situation on campus, saying ” at all press contacts during the national strike, it always impressed on stakeholders to intervene so that students can enjoy uninterrupted school calendar after the struggle, which they fail to do.”

    On the demands, he said the governing council must implement the universities (Miscellaneous provisions) amendment act 2012, passed by the Federal Government, for the effective running of universities, which the Lagos State Government had agreed to implement.

    Other demands are – the immediate regularization of appointment of academic staff currently on temporary appointment and recall of all academic staff on temporary appointment who were disengaged unjustly.

     

     

     

  • School donates equipment to LASUTH

    School donates equipment to LASUTH

    With the new Vital Signs Monitor donated by Taqwa Private Schools, Lagos, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) can save more lives.

    The school presented the medical equipment to the hospital as part of activities to commemorate its Founders’ day.

    Underscoring the value of the equipment, the Assistant Director of LASUTH’s Nursing Services, Mrs Modupe Sode said it can monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature and others in life-threatening situations like childbirth complications, head injury, burns and others.

    She said the hospital needs more of such equipment.

    Speaking before the presentation, the Proprietress, Taqwa Private Schools, Alhaja Maryam Alimi said the gesture was to support the government’s efforts to cater for the health needs of the citizens.

    “With the high level of poverty among the citizenry and the dwindling resources available to the government, it has become obvious that government alone cannot provide all the needed social services. It is in realisation of this that Taqwa Private Schools decided to donate this life-saving equipment (Vital Signs Monitor) to LASUTH for use in her intensive care unit (ICU),” she said.

    While handing the equipment over to LASUTH’s management, Chairman of the school’s Governing Board, Alhaji Lere Alimi, urged other public-spirited individuals and corporate bodies to render their assistance in providing quality healthcare delivery to the citizenry.

    LASUTH Board Chairman, Dr Olatunde Williams, lauded the school, and appealed to like-minds to emulate them.

    Before now, Mrs Alimi said the school has undertaken various projects to ensure people get the best of treatment always.

    “Just like we provide a very quality education at Taqwa, we believe LASUTH also provides a high quality health care and that is why we have chosen here for this donation. It is a collective duty for us all to help humanity and we urge people to always take time to visit hospitals, motherless babies home and prisons to learn how to help others and appreciate God’s favours,” she said.

     

  • LASU Governing Council meets with students, workers

    LASU Governing Council meets with students, workers

    Students of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo have renewed calls for a downward review of their tuition fees.

    They are also urging the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to pull out of the union’s national strike in light of the high school fees they pay. They made these demands during a meeting called by the LASU governing Council last Friday.

    They asked the Council chaired by Mr Olabode Agusto to relate the message to government that there is no justification for the increment which the Students’ Union leaders say is killing their members.

    The students, who came from the various campuses of the university in Ikeja, Epe and Surulere arrived late. By the time, Mr Agusto had left, so former commissioner for education and health, Dr Leke Pitan, another council member superintended on his behalf.

    The LASU Students’ Union PRO, Adeleke Steven told our reporter that apart from fees, the students also raised other issues such as student-lecturer relationship, reverting to a minimum of 4.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average [CGPA] not 4.50 for the university scholarship scheme, as well as other ways the university can generate funds during the meeting.

    Steven said of the discussions: “We told the Council that enough is enough as students cannot continue to be oppressed under the weight of the tuition. Since the new fees regime started, the level of admission to LASU has drastically reduced.

    “Our discussion also showed that that new tuition is not justifiable. Council informed us that the total amount of fees students contribute is small compared to the huge financial responsibilities facing this university. If that is the case, then why is the university still charging us? LASU fails to realise that most of us are children of commoners,” he said.

    A day before the meeting with the students, council met with workers of the institution. Members of the various unions except ASUU attended the meeting. They were the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities SSANU, the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). However, SSANU members walked out of the meeting when Agusto asked if they were the senior staff of the university. The workers reportedly responded in the affirmative, adding “We are degrees and masters holders like you.”

    The Chairman of SSANU-LASU Oseni Saheed said the Governing Council was not ready to help the university.

    “This council is coming with a private sector ideology forgetting that LASU is a public university. If the council must succeed in its plan, the interest of all workers and students must be taken into cognisance. No matter how lofty their plans are, it is us workers and students that will realise them,” he said.

    Oseni said the union is also against high tuition.

    “The purpose of establishing this university by Jakande is to serve the interest of Lagosians and the entire Nigerians at large so they can afford university education regardless of their backgrounds,” Oseni added.

    Meanwhile ASUU-LASU chairman Dr Adekunle Idris who addressed journalists after the union’s congress Tuesday last week, wondered how parents that earn the N18.000 minimum wage could afford the new N350.000 tuition fees as against the N90,000 they used to pay.

    He said other courses now cost N250, 000, except those under the Faculty of Education which currently stands at N 197, 000.

    The university’s Chief Information Officer, Dr Sola Fosudo told our reporter on telephone that on students’s request to end the strike, the Council only urged them to meet with ASUU for a roundtable talk towards achieving that.

    “The Governing Council told the students that they should realise the lecturers are their teachers so they should meet and talk them into calling off the strike, “Fosudo said.

  • Residents hail govt over road

    Resident of LASU-Iba Road in Lagos are excited over the ongoing construction of a road in the area.

    To them, on completion, the road will relieve their pains and open up their community for development.

    A resident, Mr. Rasheed Gbade, said: “Prior to the commencement of the ongoing reconstruction of this road, it was hell coming in and out of this community, especially, anytime there was rain, but since the commencement of the project, we have been finding movement a little bit comfortable.

    “It is not true that anyone protested against the contractor. Why should someone embark on protest when the government has answered our demand; it will be unreasonable for anyone to protest because his or her property is affected by the development.”

    He pleaded with the construction firm to keep the deadline for the job’s completion.

    Another resident Mr. Tajudeen Agbaje, praised the government for the project, adding that sacrifices must be made for development to take place.

    He said those whose properties were affected should see it as their own contribution to the community’s development for the residents’ benefit.

  • No lectures at UNILAG, LASU

    Lectures were not held yesterday at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, despite the high expectation of resumption of academics in the universities.

    The classrooms were locked and only a few students could be seen on the campuses.

    The few lecturers on hand did not teach.

    At UNILAG, some students were seen registering in the faculties.

    The lecturers at the Faculty of Business Administration refused to speak with reporters. They were, however, heard conversing in Yoruba that they would not sign the register opened for them by the university’s authorities.

    One of them was overheard, saying: “Did you see The Punch today? The Committee of Pro-Chancellors said vice-chancellors should make sure lecturers sign a register before they are paid. Is that why you are here today? I am not signing anything. Will you?”

    When one of them was asked if they had resumed, he said they were always on campus though without teaching.

    The lecturer, who spoke in confidence, said: “The job of a lecturer is not only lecturing but carrying out research and doing community work. So, we have been doing that. We don’t just go to class or attend to projects.”

    But a Ph.D student said the lecturers were never on campus whenever he brought his project to his supervisor.

    “They have not been coming. I have been bringing my project but never met them in the office. I am sure they came today because they were scared that they would be sacked if they didn’t resume,” he said.

    The Deputy Registrar, Information and Protocol, Toyin Adegbule, said other workers were not on strike.

    “The UNILAG chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) is not on strike; we are working. Students are registering. So, when the strike is called off, they will not have to spend time on that again,” he said.

    Debunking the resumption claims, the UNILAG-ASUU Chairman Dr Oghenekaro Ogbinaka said the registration was a ruse for the government to think that the schools had resumed.

    Our reporters, who went round the offices at LASU, said they were locked, including the offices of the principal officers.

    The classrooms were empty and some parts of the university were overgrown with weeds.

    The Information Unit of the university could not be reached. The offices, including that of the Chief Information Officer, Dr Sola Fosudo, were locked.

    The LASU-ASUU chairman Dr Adekunle Idris told The Nation that the union complied with the strike.

    On Federal Government’s ultimatum, Idris said: “We are not aware of any clandestine move by the management for now. But let me say that the LASU-ASUU is at the forefront of this struggle.

    We are as resolute as ever because our members know we are fighting a just cause. Our members are ready for whatever clandestine move that may come from anywhere. We have enough plans to take care of anything that may come up.”

  • Varsity teachers divided over strike

    Varsity teachers divided over strike

    Varsity teachers met yesterday on the campuses to discuss President Goodluck Jonathan’s offer to end their more than four months strike.

    According to the operating guidelines of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the local chapters are expected to vote on whether they agreed with the proposal and that the strike should end or whether they disapproved and the strike should continue.

    Decisions reached on the various campuses are to be taken to tomorrow’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which will take a decision after aggregating the opinions.

    Opinions were divided yesterday, although many ASUU chapters failed to disclose their decisions.

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State University (LASU), University of Calabar (UNICAL), Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Federal University of Technology Minna and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapters voted that the strike should end. Some of them, however, gave conditions.

    The University of Jos (UNIJOS), the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Nasarawa State University chapters voted that the strike should continue.

    UNIJOS chapter chairman Dr. David Jankam said members did not see any substance in the dialogue with the Federal Government to warrant calling off the strike.

    He said: “We have just rounded off our meeting. As a matter of fact, our members voted overwhelmingly for the continuation of the strike.

    “I can also confirm to you that five of the eight universities that make up the Bauchi Zone of ASUU have also voted for continuation of the strike, and the general saying is that the government has not shown any commitment so far.

    “We started the meeting by briefing our members on issues resolved with the Federal Government in the last meeting with the president of ASUU.

    “But in responding to the briefing, our members observed that the main issues that led to the strike were not discussed at the Aso Rock meeting.

    “As such, my members said President Jonathan is taking them for a ride by trying to divert attention from the core subjects of the strike.”

    Jankam went on: “I will now convey the resolve of our branch to our national president at the NEC meeting tomorrow.”

    Shedding light on how the meeting will decide the mater, he said: “If the majority of the chapters vote for its end, it will be called off, but if majority of chapters vote for continuation, so be it.”

    The congress of the Union at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna was divided, with majority of the members supporting the suspension of the action. Others would want it suspended with some conditions met by the government.

    The minority demanded that in calling off the action, the leadership of the union should insist that no member is victimised for his roles in the strike. They also insisted that government should indicate in the final agreement that the 2009 agreement was due for negotiation and the payment of the balance of their academic earned allowances.

    As soon as Dr. Fatai Jimoh briefed the congress of the outcome of the meeting between President Jonathan and the union, the house was divided, with the majority of the members pushing for suspension.

    The few dissenting voices argued that the union should not fall prey to the government’s ploy. They cautioned that the union cannot take the government for its word, maintaining that if the union had to embark on a strike after series of correspondences and strike in 2011 that led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2012 were not honoured.

    But majority of the university teachers said the plight of the students and their parents should be considered.

    After an exhaustive debate, the congress directed its chairman to convey to the National Executive Council meeting holding tomorrow at the Bayero University in Kano that the union could consider suspending the action, but insisted that the three conditions be met.

    Chapter chairman Dr. Fatai Jimoh, who initially refused to divulge the outcome of the congress, later said: “I have the mandate to take the decision of the congress to NEC. But, if you insist to know, majority of our members called for the suspension of the strike but with the government fulfilling three conditions.

    “Don’t ask me the conditions, because we don’t want it yet in the public domain. All I can tell you is that the strike is still on, until the NEC of the union decides otherwise.”

    The chapter chairman also refused to assess the impact of the action. He said: “As long as NEC has not suspended the action, it will be premature to assess the success or otherwise of the action. When the strike is called off, I’ll give my candid assessment.”

    At Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, ASUU chair Comrade Yahaya Badeggi said: “The congress at IBBU Lapai resolved that the strike continues until when the National Executive Council of the union decides otherwise. We know they are still negotiating. We shall abide by the decision of NEC.”

    On the gains of the action, Badeggi said: “I make bold to say that the action has produced some positive results. From the N100 billion released, our university got N450 million. This would not have been so but for the strike. I believe that at the end of the day, the university system will be better for it.”

    The following are the decisions at the various ASUU chapters on the strike.

    •University of Benin (UNIBEN). Members unanimously voted for the strike to continue because the Federal Government’s offer omitted some vital segments of the 2009 agreement;

    •University of Lagos (UNILAG) teachers want suspension of strike, but will await further directive from the national body after meeting tomorrow in Kano;

    •University of Calabar (UNICAL) lecturers voted for the suspension of the strike;

    Nasarawa State University, Keffi. ASUU chair Dr. Theophilus Lagi, said: “I can assure you that all members present at the congress today wanted the strike to continue because the documents from the government failed to address the grey areas in contention. We believe there is nothing practicable in the government’s offer, even with the N200 billion it promised to release. Before we can suspend the strike, all unpaid salaries of our colleagues must be paid and there must be solid assurance from the government that no member will be victimised after the strike is eventually suspended;

    •Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). When the issue was put to vote, the majority of members wanted an end to the strike, with the agreement that the government must sign a binding document on how it will release the N1.2 trillion it promised to release. They promised to abide by the decision of the NEC in Kano;

    •Delta State University (DELSU) members want suspension of the strike.

    •Ekiti State University (EKSU) lecturers would not disclose the outcome of the congress until after the NEC meeting tomorrow;

    •Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH). The ASUU local chairman said he would not disclose the outcome of the congress but a lecturer who attended the congress said members were okay with the offer of the government and wanted the strike to end;

    •Lagos State University (LASU) chapter supports the strike suspension.

    A source who is from ASUU-LASU executive, but pleaded not to be mentioned, said the chapter only gave certain conditions under which the strike should be suspended.

  • LASU V-C presents scorecard

    The Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. John Oladapo Obafunwa, yesterday urged stakeholders to put heads together to make the institution a model.

    He spoke to reporters during a briefing at the LASU Senate Chamber.

    Prof. Obafunwa said the greatest achievements of his administration in the last one and a half years is the re-accreditation of eight departments and the Faculty of Law once axed by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    He recalled that on assumption of office, the de-accredited programmes became his administration’s headache.

    Said he: “One of the biggest tasks of this administration when we assumed office was to ensure that all the courses formerly de-accredited by the NUC were accredited.

    “The cheering news today is that our great university has been given a clean bill. You are already aware that 16 programmes were accredited in March of the 17 initially de-accredited by NUC. “Besides, another 18 programmes, some of which were on interim status, were recently presented for re-accreditation. Although the official results are being awaited from the NUC, we remain optimistic.

    “Following the accreditation by the NUC and the approval of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the university can now admit students for all the programmes in the 2013/2014 academic session and beyond.”

    Prof. Obafunwa said the current administration has held two convocations, the last being in February where over 11,000 students graduated with 7, 400 graduating students drawn from the university’s external campus.

    The Vice-Chancellor was assisted at the briefing by his two deputies, Prof. Sena Bakre (Academic) and Prof. Omolara Bamgboye (Management), Registrar, L. O. Animashaun, Bursar, Olapeju Awoluyi and other top management staff.

    He said new academic programmes, such as Aeronautic Engineering, Civil Engineering, Agricultural Science as well as Film and Cultural Studies would soon be introduced.

  • Shun violence, other vices

    Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Lagos State House of Assembly, Ganiyu Segun Olulade, has charged students of the Lagos State University (LASU) to shun violence and other vices.

    Olulade spoke at a rally/meeting organised by LASU students with the inclusion of the Student’s Union. The occasion held at the university’s MBA hall was themed: “Rebranding LASU”

    Olulade said: “You are here to study. When you do well in your academics and allow school pass through you as you pass through school, you will end up being great students.

    “I want to tell you that cultism will only lead to death and destruction but when you shun it, it will lead you to greatness. As LASU students, you should be known for greatness.”

    The lawmaker also pledged his support for the university’s rebranding agenda.

    In his own lecture entitled: “LASU of our dream,” the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof John oladapo Obafunwa said many LASU graduates are doing well in their chosen careers. He cited an instance when he visited some media houses and saw some graduates of the university plying their trade in the newsroom. He said unfortunately, a bad image has been created about the institution.

    “A number of things are wrong and we recognise these things and try to change them,” he said.