Olumoko’s removal followed a report published on Monday by an online news platform over alleged certificate racketeering that had been going on at the university.
The online news platform claimed that a certificate racketeering syndicate had genuine LASU’s certificates that anyone interested could purchase for between N2 million and N3 million.
The platform reported that some of the members of the degree-awarding syndicate have been promoted and in a few cases risen to become professors in the school.
The report claimed that in 2020-2021, a sting operation spearheaded by the school management at the time and the Department of State Services (DSS) exposed the certificate racketeering in the school and succeeded in getting confessions from some members of the syndicate.
It claimed that sources said it all ended with the administration of Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun as vice-chancellor.
The sting operation, which the platform claimed to be highly detailed and included the use of body cameras and other gadgets, started in 2020 and culminated in the arrest and grilling of a few members of staff.
The Nation learnt that a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Dr. Abiodun Fatai-Abatan, has been appointed as acting DSA.
An official of the university’s Centre for Information and Public Relations, when asked for the university’s reaction about the removal of Prof. Olumoko, said: “I can’t say if he has been removed or not. I am not yet in the office and as such, I don’t know anything yet.”
The Lagos State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, resolved to invite the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Akibu, the LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the university’s Senate and other senior staff over the allegations levelled against the school.
Speaker of the House Mudashiru Obasa asked that the institution’s concerned authorities be invited so that facts concerning the claim can be found for the sake of the school’s reputation.
“I agree that the committee should invite those to be invited to establish facts about the allegation, but we must not because of that destroy our institution’s reputation,” Obasa, an alumnus of the institution, said.
He added that if anyone is found wanting, such a person should be sanctioned.
A lawmaker, Owolabi Ajani, who moved the motion on the allegation under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, told his colleagues there was a need to invite the Commissioner, the VC and others for the House to unravel the facts behind the allegation.
When The Nation enquired about the controversy from the university’s students yesterday, it was learnt that faculties and departments have been assuring them of the genuineness of the university’s certificates.
Authorities of Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, have removed the Dean of Student Affairs, Prof Tajudeen Olumoko.
His removal followed allegations of certificate racketeering rocking the institution.
Confirming his sack, the coordinator Centre for Information and Public Relations, Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile , told The Nation that ‘he was removed as part of ongoing investigation by the university.’
Meanwhile, a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Dr Abiodun Fatai-Abatan, has been appointed as acting Dean of Student Affairs.
The Lagos State House of Assembly had on Tuesday, November 7, said it would invite the Commissioner for Tertiary Education in the state, Tolani Akibu, the Vice-Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the Senate of the tertiary institution and other top staff.
An online news platform had revealed that a certificate racketeering syndicate had genuine Lagos State University certificates that anyone interested could purchase for between N2m and N3m, depending on the technicality of the course involved.
Two decades later, the entire resident staff of the LASU Communication programme opted to celebrate the evolution of a vision that has matured over time and radiating so much brightness to the delight of all stakeholders in and outside of LASU including the diverse recipient sectors. Call this a break to reflect, you won’t be wrong. Declare it a popular pause for some moments of rejoicing, you’re also right. It was one whole week that united all the stakeholders in a cheerful mood
Unprecedentedly all-encompassing. It tore through the severe tide of the nation’s harsh season with the so-called off and on days of fuel price hike induced palliative. The entire family congregated for the greatest celebrations ever in the arena of Communication programme in LASU. Enough for everyone to eat, drink and even wear. Spontaneous dance steps of the joyous with flying hands hailing the accompanying music from the itinerant mega speakers therefore spread across the entire faculty spilling into the campus main road and the adjoining ones. For a whole week beginning Sunday September 24, 2023 the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies flaunted conspicuous felicity all through till Saturday Sept 30, 2023
At the height of it all, joyfully led by the first Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, FCMS (until very recently, the Faculty was called School of Communication) Prof Sunday Olayinka Alawode, both the teaching and non-teaching staff embarked on a delightful adventure to the historic Ikeja Airport Hotel. This was where we all loosened up in free flowing, colourful apparels to do justice to tasteful meals, drinks and dance sessions with a live a band on standby. Joy for all with assorted, exciting punctuations.
Anike-Ade Funke Treasure, the near six-footer female compere for the luncheon clad up in a fashionably roomy boubou was the cynosure of all when she seized the centre-stage and requested resounding applause to herald the grand entry of the boss of the Faculty, Prof Alawode. Promptly, the multi-genre media expert announced that it was a day for multiple awards with plenty to celebrate with. The high point of the presentations was that for our late leader, Prof Lai Oso, on whose behalf the daughter, a LASU based scientist, Dr. Simisola Oso-Asekun, had come.
The daughter urged all to brighten up for the day’s celebration as she believed Daddy lived a fulfilled life despite the sudden demise. She recounted Prof Oso’s rare commitment to scholarship and relationship with everyone in both his official and domestic networks. She then expressed her gratitude for the honour and prayed for an enduring relationship with the entire FCMS family.
In addition to Prof Oso, all former deans beginning with the very first substantive, Prof Idowu Sobowale, were also specially recognized. The immediate past dean and the only honouree in that category, present at the occasion was hailed with thunderous claps when he was called out. LASU’S first professor of Public Relations and Advertising, Prof Rotimi Olatunji, as well remains the longest serving dean till date. All pioneer staff including Professors Jimi Kayode, Jide Jimoh and Yinka Alawode and your’s sincerely were equally later honoured with special plaques. It was Alawode’s third day of dancing within one week.
The first dance session was right at the commencement of the week at the special church session held at the Chapel of Light, LASU, Sunday September 24, 2023. It was the Faculty’s first formal interface with the Church. After the sermon, Prof Alawode, led the rest xtian staff members of the Faculty in a rollicking dance coursing through the long stretch of the central church aisle. Decked in a neatly embroidered Agbada, Alawode was only as fittingly dressed as the rest staff who complemented him, all of them leaving no one in doubt that everyone in that Faculty was as happy as the leader. The church had prayed for a better future for the Faculty, its leader and all, even as the journey so far had been impressive.
The following morning presented the Faculty the opportunity to showcase its commendable trajectory, long registered duly though. ( see: opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2020/09/05/how-lasusoc-cultivated-national-leadership-for-lasu-by-tunde-akanni/?tztc=1) It was also the auspicious time to restate its unmistakable readiness to keep contributing to new layers of knowledge just playing out in the realm of communication studies globally especially as being accelerated by digital technology.
As was for all components of the anniversary programmes, Prof Alawode again, did not leave anyone in doubt regarding his sterling leadership. Promptly at 10 am Monday September 25, he proudly kickstarted the day’s event with the magisterial presentation of his speech to the media. But there was a heavy punctuation: He enjoined everyone in the expansive auditorium to stand up and observe one-minute silence in honour of Prof Lai Oso, distinguished scholar, former dean and awe inspiring mentor and friend in the community of communication scholars and practitioners in Nigeria and Africa.
He recounted the inception of today’s FCMS as the Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication at Surulere with a Professor of Geography, Tayo Odumosu, as its first head. Odumosu was succeeded by Prof Tunde Samuel of the Education Faculty and after him came the first substantive dean, Prof Idowu Sobowale. Prof AbduRaheem Lawal succeeded Sobowale and afterwards came Professors Sophie Oluwole and Lai Oso eventually succeded by Olatunji Williams. The press conference was as much of an opportunity for gratitude as much as it was one for appeal for continued support especially from the alumni and other stakeholders.
The weeklong celebration further availed FCMS the opportunity to test its strength as an uncommonly endowed breeding ground for professionals in the vast terrain of communication practices and scholarship. With its extensive network earned from long nurtured visible dexterity and brilliance, it exhibited its mastery of mastery of marketing communications to attract sufficient material and other support from within and outside of the university. FCMS will therefore remain eternally grateful to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB; Odu’a Investment Company, OIC headquartered in Ibadan; International Breweries headquartered in Ikoyi Lagos; Mega-Electric, owners of multiple radio stations around the country as well Tobex Media owned by an illustrious alumna. Not the least is the unquantifiable support from the university management led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello.
The invaluable encouragement and support of the LASU management induced the colourful homage led by the FCMS Dean to the VC on the Week’s sport’s day Thursday September 28, 2023. All FCMS representatives on that mission rocked the purpose made uniform tracksuits duly branded with the logos of both LASU and and Odu’a Investment Company that donated the tracksuits. The Dean later presented the VC with other souvenirs specially produced to commemorate the Week.
Enter the religious balance Friday September 29, 2023. It was the turn of the Special Jumah Service. Coincidentally, Prof Amidu Sanni, the officiating Imam being a former broadcaster, left no one in doubt about his relish for the special anniversary celebrations. He impressed it on the worshippers that FCMS was home to a most important set of knowledge areas incontrovertibly indispensable to development and sustenance of power. On account of the increasing possibilities deriving from digital technology, he challenged the muslim brothers and sisters based at FCMS to appreciate the fact that the ummah would love to hear great accomplishments from them. He rounded off with prayers for greater future for the Faculty, the individuals driving it as well as the students.
The Week’s programme proceeded with a carefully designed intellectual spices. A panel session and a lecture did the trick. The panel session focused on Media and Governance in the Age of Digital Media. That session paraded speakers that turned out to be hard to stop. It comprised the immediate past Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Internet Registration Association, NIRA, Mrs Edith Udeagu; the Executive Director of the Centre for Social Media Research, Dr Akin Olaniyan as well as a former Special Adviser on Information in Osun State, Alhaji Semiu Okanlawon. Interestingly, though national and international players of mean standing now, both Okanlawon and Olaniyan are alumni of the LASU Communication Programme.
The second leg of the intellectual component of the programme held Tuesday September 26. The guest speaker at the Annual Lecture who spoke on the politics of identity in Nigeria was the ebullient publisher of ThisNigeria newspaper, Eric Osagie. His presentation was as analytical as it was solutionist. Noting that Nigerian politics was becoming increasingly divisive along multiple lines of religion and ethnicity, he counseled for caution to avert unpleasant consequences. As one of the preliminary measures, Osagie suggested that government official forms in the country should drop columns requesting ethnic and religious affiliations.
What turned out to be a celebration of two decades plus is the outcome of the combination of insightful thinking and the relentless commitment of a team that resolved to be cooperative defying local and global inhibitions including the overwhelming Covid-19 pandemic that shut down the entire world for sometime.
Immediate past dean, Prof Rotimi Olatunji had broached the idea with the rest of us at a Faculty meeting in 2020. Everyone at the meeting endorsed the initiative even as none had any idea of where we could tap resources from. A committee was promptly constituted with your’s sincerely as the chair. My inimitable colleagues on the committee are Dr Lade Atofojomo, Dr Julius Adeyemo, Dr Stephen Fatonji, Dr Ganiyat Adenle and David Olaluwoye. The committee deployed all possible skills and connections to the task and thus ensued the eventual good story. “Which of our Lord’s favour can we deny?”
Tunde Akanni is an Associate Professor of Journalism at LASU. Follow him on X via:@AkintundeAkanni
The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has said a section of an 8,000-bed students hostel in the Ojo Campus of the university has been completed and ready for allocation.
Mrs Olatunji-Bello made this known yesterday at a news conference with student-journalists and influencers, to mark the second anniversary of her assumption of office as LASU vice-chancellor.
She said students would start getting hostel spaces from the next academic session.
“LASU management expresses its commitment to addressing concerns raised by students.
“I approved the provision of free transportation for students commuting between LASU Iba Gate and Iyana-School, morning and evening, daily.
“This is a measure to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the students,” she said.
The vice-chancellor said she also approved the extension of the second semester of the 2023/2024 academic session by two weeks.
“Examination will now commence mid of November 2023,” Mrs Olatunji-Bello said.
She added that in response to overcrowding of classes, the institution had adopted hybrid (physical and online) mode of teaching for large classes.
“LASU is already making provision for facilities to support hybrid teaching.
“Also, work-study scheme is being implemented in the university; students can volunteer to work and get stipends at various centres in the university.
“There is a plan by the university to co-host the African Universities Games with the University of Lagos; the competition will come up later this year,” Mrs Olatunji-Bello added.
Lagos State University (LASU) will begin a weeklong celebration of what it calls its towering Communication Programme Sunday September 24, 2023.
The programme, which begins with a special church service will run through the following week with assorted activities, according to a statement by the chairman of the Organising Committee, Dr Tunde Akanni, who is also the immediate past Head of Journalism Department of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (FCMS).
The Organising Committee Chair stated that the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Olayinka Alawode will lead the entire management, staff and the world class students of the Faculty to address a special anniversary briefing on Monday at the popular 3-in-1 Auditorium Complex at Ojo Main Campus of the University on Monday September 25, 2023.
“From the ambitious beginning dating back to over twenty years ago, Communication Studies at LASU intervened to be a big player from its city centre take-off point at SuruLere till date now occupying centre-stage on the main campus of the university,” Akanni added.
The commemorative programme designed to further stamp the ever-increasing relevance of Communication Scholarship in the 21st century will feature intellectually inspiring sessions including a special panel session and a special lecture.
The special panel session which will take place on Monday September 25, 2023 will focus on media and governance in the age of digital technology.
Promising to be a most enthralling session, it will feature experts ranging from the immediate Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NIRA) Ms Edith Udeagu; an international player in social media practice and scholarship, Dr Akin Olaniyan as well as former Special Adviser on Information in Osun State, Alhaji Semiu Okanlawon.
The session will be moderated by a multi-genre media activist and social campaigner, Anike Ade Funke Treasure.
The commemoration of the two-decade communication scholarship continues on Tuesday with a special lecture titled Media, Good Governance and Identity Polity Politics.
It will be delivered by a veteran journalist and Publisher of ThisNigeria newspaper, Eric Osagie.
Further from the lecture and panel sessions are outdoor activities on Thursday within the campus beginning with an early morning colourful march-past by the entire teaching and non teaching staff of the Faculty and climaxing with a football match by the students.
On Friday, the celebrations move to the central mosque of the university to receive special blessings from the top muslim clerics of the LASU muslim community and the rest muslim congregants.
The grand finale of the programme comes up on Saturday September 30, 2023 with a special luncheon for select past and current stakeholders.
The high point of the luncheon will be special honours to be conferred on all past deans of the faculty, all pioneer academic staff and some of the distinguished graduates of the Faculty.
Students from the Department of Law, Lagos State University (LASU) have emerged winners of the 2019 Maritime Blue Print Competition after defeating law students from nine other universities.
The competition, sponsored by SIFAX Group, is one of the activities of the Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime Conference, which is in its fourth edition and held in partnership with the Maritime Forum of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG).
At the end of the keenly-contested debate final involving the teams from LASU and UNILAG, the trio of Tiamiyu Hezekiah Toheeb, Enifeni Ibrahim and Emmanuel Omotayo Johnson lifted the trophy for LASU with 67 points, while the UNILAG team made up of Mubarak Agboola, Otitoola Folajimi and Alao Omeiza Joshua got 65 points.
Other schools that participated in the debate were: Bowen University, University of Ilorin, Babcock University, Afe Babalola University, Crescent University, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Benin.
The teams debated the topic: “Achieving the Blue Economy Dream in the Nigerian Maritime sector”.
Speaking on the competition, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, praised the winning team for its doggedness and well-researched presentations.
He noted that the competition’s key objective of stimulating university students’ interest in the maritime industry was gradually being fulfilled.
He said: “The quality of the thoughts and styles of delivery by the students have been very encouraging. This has shown that the competition on an annual basis is yielding its desired results. This competition will go a long way in stimulating the interests of the students in maritime business. SIFAX Group will continue to partner the Maritime Forum to make this a sustainable initiative.”
Lagos State University (LASU) last week joined the world to celebrate the World Bicycle Day.
It was an exciting spectacle as students, workers, visitors and guests, displayed their dexterity with the two-wheel instrument, ignoring the heavy rain that repeatedly pounded the campus premises and its environs.
About 150 bicycles were made available for students’ and other interested riders free of charge
The event was facilitated by the Asian African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (AACCI) in collaboration with the United Nations Organisation, Wealthroot Global Ventures, Watechnology Nigeria Limited (OUR BIKE), Office of the Deputy High Commissioner of India in Nigeria and Lagos State University Students Union (LASUSU), among other participants.
The event started very early as scheduled and cyclists rode up to 8.5 kilometres within the school premises. Riders were escorted by members of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Security Agency in their vehicles and bicycles.
Mr. Ahmed Adekunle Anrinle, who co-ordinated the event on behalf of the Asian African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (AACCI), and the Office of the Deputy High Commissioner of India in Nigeria, described the exercise as ‘very successful’ in view of the collaborations, which he said engendered a large turnout.
Talking about the collaboration, Anrinle, who is a member, Advisory Board of AACCI said: “We partnered a company called AWA Technology, a company that deals in bicycles. Today all those bicycles are opened for students. We also partnered Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Security Agency, a security outfit that uses bicycles. They also brought their bicycles to participate.”
“The Information Centre of the United States and the Management of LASU were all here to collaborate with us,” Arinle added.
Anrinle, a LASU alumnus and the Chief Executive Officer of Rinllandded Nigeria Limited, said the AACCI is considering compensating the participating students with its membership.
“The height of the event is that we want to give membership opportunity of AACCI to the students, who participated at the event. This would encourage and give them a sense of belonging,” Anrinle explained.
LASU Registrar, Mr Olayinka Amuni, who spoke on behalf of the university, assured that the annual event has come to stay in the institution. According to him, the university promised not only to sustain the exercises, but to make subsequent editions bigger and more colourful.
“In LASU, it (World Bicycle Day) has come to stay. In fact, we are going to promote it to be a lecture free-day. It is our plan that on that day the students will know that they are coming to ride bicycles,” Amuni said
He added: “It is also to teach the students about nature. One of the merits of bicycle is that it benefits the environment. It is also economical because it is the cheapest form of transportation.”
Also at the event was a representative of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Security Agency, Mr Leke Adeleke.
“When you go on bicycle, you are exercising. In terms of the economy it is friendly and in terms of the environment it is also friendly. You don’t run on fuel. Some people are so lazy to exercise, but when they bike, unconsciously they are exercising and shedding excess weight. At the end, they are happier,” Adeleke said.
Some students who did well in the race were rewarded for their feats Adigun Mojeed, a 400-level Education Management student came first and was presented with N30,000.00 cash. Dani Shakiru a 200-Level Mass Communication undergraduate and his counterparts Osunkoya Emmanuel, a 200-Level student from the School of Transport, who both emerged first and second runners up, were given N20, 000 and N10,000 respectively.
The trio, who expressed their appreciation to the management and organisers, said they were very happy and lucky to be part of this year’s event.
Only 5,500 of the over 45,000 who applied to the Lagos State University (LASU) were admitted in the 2018/2009 academic session, its Vice Chancellor, Prof Lanre Adigun Fagbohun, has said.
He broke the news at the matriculation of fresh students of the varsity.
He said the development should be a challenge to those who scaled the institution’s hurdle to be adventurous and give their best during their studentship.
Fagbohun announced that the event signalled the dawn of a ‘New LASU’, which encourages scholarship among students, yet will not look the other way when it comes to punishing defaulters.
He said: “You will get to realise as you progress in your studies, that Lagos State University is synonymous with academic innovation, cutting-edge research, sagacious and academically active students. The above qualities make our students stand out among their colleagues from other institutions whenever they engage them in intellectual discourse. The onus lies on you to ensure that you strive hard further raise the bar. This can only be achieved when you dress responsibly, eschew violence, cultism, drug addiction, prostitution and examination malpractices and other vices inimical to your success as a student of the university.”
The vice chancellor sought the assistance of parents in this project, saying rich deliberations between the two parties could improve the lot of their wards.
“At this juncture, I want to implore parents and guardians of our new students to join hands with us in nurturing these young minds towards the path of greatness. The fact that they are in a tertiary institution does not transfer your responsibility as parents and guardians to the school. We need to work together with a common purpose of bringing the best out of them.”
Fagbohun added that that LASU has instituted a Parents Forum as a confluence between parents and management for robust deliberations of the state of their children.
He urged the entire workers, especially the lecturers, to rededicate themselves towards bringing out the best out of the new students.
“Our success lies in their achievements and we cannot relent in the pursuit of excellence,” he said.
The Lagos State University (LASU) will hold its 23rd convocation on Thursday. Its Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Lanre Adigun Fagbohun, says the 14,369 graduands are ready for work. During an interactive session with reporters, he spoke of his plans for the university. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA was there.
During the last convocation, the university produced 24 First Class graduates. But this year, it is 57. What accounted for the increase?
It is the product of the quality assurance that management put in place. Every unit of the university has keyed into the vision of what we want to achieve for ourselves. LASU is now a university that is restless. Our students are engaged in various activities and you see them competing with themselves and with the outside world. Charity begins at home; so, we sharpen our students. First, to forestall a scenario where they will suffer complex issues among their contemporaries outside the university.
Would you say that LASU graduates are work ready?
I will say with all confidence that the graduating students are trained and ready for the world of work. This is not mere wishful thinking; it’s a question of what we have packaged into them. The ‘Ready-Set-Work’ (an initiative of Lagos State government to instill employability skills in students in tertiary schools in Lagos) is the main platform which has enhanced the employability and the entrepreneurial skills of our students. It has exposed them to the world of work so much that employers now come here (LASU) and pick our students long before they graduate.
We have also started the LASU Career Development Centre (LCDC). It’s an online platform. The moment you are registered as our student, you are automatically registered under that platform. It’s a platform where we continually train students on how to prepare curriculum vitae, approach interviewers, and how to get counsel on any business of interest our students intend to follow after graduation. You will also find on the platform a number of professional bodies students can join before graduation. Besides, we also have guidance counsellors. As our student, we use the opportunity of the counsellors to put you through should you be confused and do not know where to go. This is a continuous process. We launched that platform early last year, and it’s doing very well. Third, LASU has a Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies. The idea is to ensure we breed students who can expunge the entrepreneurial fear of joblessness. Lots of activities are going on and you media can attest to it by coming around and interacting with our students.
The World Bank has named LASU as African Centre of Excellence (ACE) for innovative and transformative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). How is the university responding to this challenge?
Centres of excellence are structured in such a way that different institutions are given different mandates. We, in LASU, are into tech. We are going to be training postgraduate students in different areas by deploying innovative methodologies to teaching them. We have taken to bear innovative approach for this.
Centres of excellence are considered knowledge incubators that can produce knowledge for the African continent. It was a very stiff competition that the World Bank itself presided over before making a choice of LASU, among other 16 universities that applied from Nigeria and about 154 from across Africa. So, I thank the entire LASU community that our university is now one of them.
What new ground will LASU break from next year?
First, we are desirous of consolidating on our international partnership and some of the linkages we have with our partners abroad. We are going to be sending our students and workers there, while they also will be sending theirs here. So, do not be surprised if by next year, you see our students and friends from America, UK and other European countries taking lectures with our students here. We believe in cross fertilisation of ideas.
For sometime, LASU stopped giving honorary awards. Does it mean it has not yet found distinguished Nigerians deserving of such awards?
It is not to say that we don’t have Nigerians that are qualified for our (honorary) awards. Our problem is that our process is very rigorous. Very soon, we will commence the honorary awards and, by then, you will see the kind of people that we will parade as our awardees. But for now, we want to tread softly.
Early this year, the university announced that the VC had signed over 30,000 certificates and that students should come for them. How many have been collected so far?
I want to say as at today, if you are a graduate of LASU and have not collected your certificate, it is because you are not interested in that certificate. The university management created a platform during the university’s birthday where we announced that over 30,000 certificates were yet to be collected and that students should come and pick them up. We gave a three-month window which has since lapsed. So, if any student wants to collect his or her certificate, he or she must be prepared to pay a fine for late collection.
Lagos State University (LASU), has described as “false” reports that its Pro-Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman, Prof Adebayo Ninalowo, directed that N474 million be withdrawn from the institution’s Pension Investment.
Though LASU said it dipped its hands into the university’s reserves to cater for the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation last October/November, it denied tampering with the staff contributory pension. It said the pension funds of employees yet to register with pension funds administrators were intact.
“Management of Lagos State University has denied outright a publication accusing the Pro-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of diverting N198, 000, 000 staff pension to buy luxury cars,” said a statement signed by the university’s image maker, Mr Ademola Adekoya.
The statement continued: “For Year 2018 accreditation exercise, LASU presented 37 academic programmes. Preparatory to NUC visit, the university established a model of instituting task teams for all programmes to be accredited. The task teams are supervised by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), while the Vice-Chancellor monitors activities of the task teams from the background using dedicated peer review teams of seasoned professors. Each task team comprised a member of management, the dean of the faculty and heads of the concerned departments. Others were representatives of all staff and Students’ Unions, bursary, and internal audit.
“It is pertinent to state that at no time did the university borrow from Staff Contributory Fund to finance accreditation expenses. However, the university borrowed the sum of N474, 000, 000. 00 from its provision to meet past service obligations. The Pension Fund for members of staff who are yet to register with Pension Fund Administrators (which is less than one hundred million naira), is intact.
“In taking the above step, the university obtained approval of the Governing Council while the Office of the Special Adviser on Education and the Visitor to the university were duly carried along. At no time did the Pro-Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor violate the provisions of the financial guidelines of the university.”
