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Tag: LASU

  • Strike: LASU to comply with ASUU directives within 48 hours

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU ), Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter says it will comply fully to the nationwide lecturers strike declared by its national body within 48 hours.

    Dr Adeolu Oyekan, Assistant Secretary, ASUU-LASU made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

    Oyekan said that while there was already a substantial compliance to the strike by its members, total compliance would begin after the chapter holds its congress within the next 24 to 48 hours.

    He said skeletal academic work was still ongoing in the campus adding that members were still waiting for congress decision before embarking on the strike.

    According to him, the union executives have used other available platform to reach out to its members on the decision of the National Executive Council (NEC).

    “Already, there is a substantial compliance from our members, but for the sake of formality, we will convey congress within the next 24 to 48 hours to brief our members.

    “As you are aware that NEC is the supreme organ of our union and the directives said the strike commence immediately and in total.

    “Our members from the feelers we got so far had complied but we expect total compliance from tomorrow’’.

    Oyekan noted that LASU was known to always comply substantively with the directive of its national leadership and do not envisage any breech from its members.

    “Any of our members you may see around now, are probably those who are yet to get information of the strike.

    “For those who have received the information, they have started staying off the classroom even before we call the congress’’.

    Oyekan said that the union’s strike monitoring committee would begin duty from Wednesday to ensure that members comply fully as directed.

    He said that the monitoring committee would also pick members who flout the national body directive for appropriate sanction.

    Mr Samuel Olalere, President, LASU Students Union (LASUSU), also confirmed to NAN that the strike had not commenced fully in the campus because ASUU-LASU chapter was yet to hold its congress.

    Olalere said that academic activities were still ongoing in the institution campus.

    He however, urged government to meet the demands of the union as soon as possible for the benefit of the education system and to prevent the strike from lingering.

    Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Vice -Chancellor, LASU in an interview with NAN urged ASUU and the Federal Government not to allow a breakdown of the education system.

    Fagbohun said the union and the government must also return to the negotiation table and continue to actively discuss the issues constructively towards resolving them.

    He said that what was happening between the union and the government was not unusual as the demands were not out of place.

    “The unions are seeking for an improvement in the standard and quality of education.

    “When you also look at the government, it not as if it is against the demands of ASUU but it has a challenge of scarce resources”.

    The professor urged government to show sincerity of purpose in terms of keeping agreement with the union to prevent any suspicion.

    He also appealed to ASUU to eschew anger and consider the current administration because the problem at hand emanated from previous governments.

    “The issue at hand did not happen overnight. The problems have been there for so many years.

    “So ASUU must show some understanding in the way they articulate and insist on some of these issues.

    “The problem requires the understanding of all the party, government must continuously show sincerity of purposes in the negotiation.

    “Rather than allow a breakdown of the system, we should consider an incremental gain.

    “Our young adults and educational institutions will suffer once there is a breakdown of the system. We should therefore not allow us eventually loose what we are trying to protect”.

    A check by NAN correspondent at LASU Ojo campus lecturer hall revealed that skeletal academic activities were still ongoing and normal.

    NAN also reports that ASUU had directed its members would begin an indefinite strike on Monday, Nov. 5 over the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MOA) signed with the Federal Government.

    Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President said the strike would cover both the Federal and State owned universities.

    Ogunyemi said all entreaties made to the Federal Government to honour the agreement with the union fell on deaf ears and they have no other option than to begin an indefinite strike action.

    “ Having waited patiently for action and meaningful negotiation with reasonable men using the principle of collective bargaining.

    “ASUU at its NEC meeting of Nov. 3 and 4, 2018, at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), resolved to resume the nationwide strike action it suspended in September 2017 with immediate effect.

  • Communities urge Ambode to provide U-turn on Lagos/Abeokuta expressway

    Four communities along Idi-Mango/Onipetesi to Dopemu under bridge on the Lagos/Abeokuta expressway have appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to create a ”U”-turn on the road to ease difficulties and ensure safety of lives.

    Chairman of Onipetesi Community Development Association, OCDA, Elder Kunle Amosun made the appeal at a press conference he addressed at the secretariat of OCDA at Onipetesi over the weekend.

    He also called on the Federal Government especially the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to intercede on “this matter of urgent public importance.”

    The communities concerned are: residents of Onipetesi, Onilekere, Cement and Santos Layout with a population of about 980,000.

    Amosun said though the communities have been agitating for the “U”-turn since 2001, they are however stepping up the agitation because of the on-going construction of BRT lanes in the axis, so that government could take advantage of the construction to creat at least two “U”-turns for the communities.

    This he said would save residents coming from Oshodi the difficulty of having to go as far as to Egbeda, a distance of about 5km to turn back to their homes or for residents who want to go to Iyana Ipaja to go to Agege Motor road, a distance of about 2km to turn.

    Read Also: Who did this to Governor Akin Ambode?

    “It is important to know that the expressway was constructed many years ago without regard to the fact that there would be rapid development with the adjoining communities and they are disadvantaged because of location as it is bounded to the East by Murtala Mohammed International Airport, making the expressway the only route that leads to the community”.

    The chairman wondered why their case should be different because “similar projects like the Lagos/Ikorodu road and the Agege Motor road have “U” turns almost at every Bus stop.

    “Our frustrations are premised on the fact that if the construction continue without a “U” turn in our axis it will creat untold hardship for residents.

    “A lot of man-hour will be wasted, lives have been lost as a result of traffic gridlock in the expressway as many patients who would have ordinarily be saved have died in such traffic gridlock and furthermore the traffic on completion of the BRT lanes will be heavier than experienced at present”,

    “We strongly believe that one or two “U”-turn along this axis will save citizens the needless  hassle of facing agonising traffic to Dopemu and beyond, it will also alleviate the traffic gridlock for those going beyond our communities to destinations such as Egbeda, Idimu, LASU, Abule Egba, Ota etc.”, Amosun said.

    Speaking on efforts the communities have made before now, Amosun said a lot has been done in the area of sensitization and correspondences with the relevant authorities.

    “Two former Ministers of Works were contacted with promises to look into the issues but to no avail”; they have also written to the state government on the matter but the “commissioner of works gave flimsy excuse in one of his replies that a “U”-turn in the axis would further worsen already heavy traffic on the road; this is false, on the contrary it will ease traffic.

    “We met the contractor working on the road but they said there was nothing they could do as they were working on a plan given by the Lagos state government, their client”, though they said “U”-turn can be created if they are so directed, Amosun said.

    Present with him at the briefing were other prominent elders and exco members of OCDA like: Mr. Sam Emiowele, a chartered quantity surveyor, Chief Victor Oyolu, a chartered accountant, Ayo Omobowale, Engr. Jimi Taylor, vice president of OCDA etc.

     

  • ASUU petitions Council on LASU VC’s backdated promotion

    The Southwest zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has accused the management of the Lagos State University (LASU) of impunity in witch hunting leaders of the Institution’s chapter of the union.

    Three ASUU-LASU leaders have been queried by the University following a letter they wrote to the Governing Council requesting an investigation into the backdating of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Lanre Fagbohun’s promotion to the professorship cadre.

    Dr Alex Odigi, Coordinator of Akure zone of ASUU, said on Thursday during a Congress at LASU that the university was violating its laws by questioning the union leaders.

    He said: “We want the public to know that charges have been brought up against three executives.

    “The executives in question are Dr Tony Dansu, Secretary, Dr Adeolu Oyekan , Asst. Secretary and Dr Kemi Abodunrin Shonibare, Treasurer.

    “It is not news to us that the university sometime ago unjustly dismissed our colleagues, the chairperson and the vice chair person of our branch

    “They have began another systematic process in which they intend to also dismiss the secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer of the branch, all under the cover of the trump up charge of having collected a classified document and released or publicly issued out. I don’t know where they are making their own rules from. There are some things that if they want to do they have to look at the law of the states and federation before they can embark on it.

    In a letter dated June 1, 2018, and signed by Dansu and Oyekan, the ASUU-LASU had prayed the Council to investigate whether or not the university’s former Registrar, Mr Akinwunmi Lewis, had done wrong in backdating Fagbohun’s promotion approved on May 7, 2014 to October 1, 2008 without which he (Fagbohun) could have been qualified to run for the office.

    The union leaders attached documents that listed the Council members that approved the promotion of Fagbohun and nine others on May 7, 2014, as well as the letter of promotion that Lewis wrote to Fagbohun on August 24, 2014 backdating his promotion to October 1, 2008.

    In the letter, they questioned why the Registrar made the decision without evidence that the Council directed him to do so.

    “To the best of our knowledge, there was no other meeting of the Governing Council where the promotion was notionally backdated to October 1, 2008 between May 7, 2014 and the day the then Registrar sent the letter of promotion to Dr Olanrewaju Fagbohun or thereafter,” the letter read.

    Fagbohun was appointed vice-Chancellor in 2015.

    Though the Council is still investigating ASUU’s allegations, the management of the University has asked Dansu, Oyekan and, Abodunrin to explain how they got access to the confidential documents containing the Councik’s decision and details of the backdating.

    The Director, Centre for Information and Public Relations, Mr Ademola Adekoya, said in a phone interview that the university’s laws penalises the unauthorised release of confidential documents.

    “The document is confidential; where did they get it? The illegality must be corrected first. Any attempt to check somebody’s file is misconduct. It is there in the condition of service that if you do this, there is a sanction for it,” he said.

    Adekoya added that it was wrong for ASUU to jump into conclusion based on the letter, which he said did not tell the whole story as there were other documents they were not privy to that empowered the former Registrar to backdate Fagbohun’s promotion.

    He also said Fagbohun had contested the date of his promotion with the Council which agreed to backdate it.

    “The Registrar was acting on the records available to him; he did not commit any crime.Moreover, they have written to the Council, they should wait for the outcome. A joint committee of the Council and Senate is looking into the matter and afterwards, Council will take a decision,” he said.

  • LASU’s physically challenged students seek scholarship

    The physically challenged students of the Lagos State University (LASU) have appealed to the state government to give them full scholarship.

    Their representative, Miss Dorcas Yunana, made the appeal on behalf of others on the sidelines of the University’s second distinguished lecture series on Tuesday.

    The title of the lecture was: “Life Skills Education and Entrepreneurship Learning in the 21st Century.’’

    Yunana is a 100-level student in the Department of Political Science.

    She said the state government should be willing to grant full scholarships to persons living with disabilities and studying in any higher institutions of learning.

    “I on behalf of my colleagues, commend the state government for its policies in favour of people living with disabilities such as disability-friendly infrastructure and the provision of educational tools.

    “We are grateful. I, however, wish to say that more can still be done for us by the state government. It can give full scholarship covering all expenses to any person living with disability who is able to gain admission into the tertiary institutions.

    “Also, more needs to be done in the area of provision of educational tools for us,’’ she said.

    Yunana said the life of the physically challenged, particularly the visually impaired, was not an easy one and became more difficult when the environment was hostile to them.

    According to her, stigmatisation is one of their major problems.

    She listed others to include lack of recognition that persons living with disability deserved special facilities and attention.

    Yunana, however, said that the experience of the physically challenged at LASU was different.

    She commended the university management, staff and students for doing everything within their powers to make life easy for her colleagues.

     

     

     

     

  • LASU, AOCOED, others eulogise registrar

    Management of the Lagos State University (LASU);Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Oto/Ijanikin; Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH); and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Nogorija, Épé, have described the late Mr Owolabi Amisu as an unparalleled administrator and one with a Midas touch. They testified to Amisu’s likeable personality, saying he was one individual who made great contributions to the four institutions.

    This was during a short tribute session held as part of the activities of Amisu’s burial rites at his country home in Épé, weekend.

    According to family sources, Amisu, a native of Epe, passed on early morning of Tuesday, last week, at his country home while preparing for the Eid el-Kabir prayers. He was 71.

    Until his death, Amisu was former registrar of AOCOED and LASU. He was also an erstwhile sole administrator for MOCPED and a member of LASPOTECH Governing Council.

    Former Acting Provost of MOCPED Dr Sulaimon Popoola noted that the institution would forever be grateful to Amisu for coming to the rescue of a once-crisis-ridden institution.

    He said: “Baba Amisu came to MOCPED at a time we were in so much turbulence. He only spent 20 months but laid a solid foundation and gave us a lasting legacy.

    “Baba was a straightforward person. Once there was a contentious issue and we presented it to him exactly the way it should, Baba would advise us appropriately.”

    A member of the Governing Council of LASPOTECH, Mr Bamidele Sutton, said his late colleague usually had a philosophical approach to issues.

    “Baba really prepared ahead of his death!” Sutton said.

    “He believed there was no experience that occurred to man that God doesn’t have input into. He would always tell us “Pls let’s be patient and await our entitlements. He believed in amicable means of conflict resolution. He never discriminated along ethnic or religious lines. He detested hypocrisy. He was a lover of all.”

    Going down memory lane, Deputy Provost of AOCOED Dr Femi Adedina recounted how he ran into the deceased in Ijebu  when he (Adedina) was still an undergraduate in 1979, and how they later reunited in AOCOED when Amisu was registrar.

    “We have therefore come here as AOCOED family  to pay our condolences. This is the little we feel we could do for a man who has done so much for us,” Adedina began.

    “Baba Amisu was a sound administrator, hardworking, and faithful.  He is the kind you always wanted around anytime, one of the best administrators Lagos State could boast of. Baba has left his footprint in the sand of time.

    Deputy Registrar (Exams and Records), LASU Mrs Helen Kaka, recalled that coming from a college of education, many in LASU underestimated Amisu’s ability, but the deceased proved them wrong .

    “He was our Registrar in 1998 before he was seconded to the ministry in 2004,” he recalled.

    “Baba was academically sound and was

    “When he arrived LASU, many of us wondered how could the government allow someone who was a Registrar in a college of education here? Many actually had doubts about his ability to deliver; but we were all proved wrong in no time.”

    a strict disciplinarian.

    The deceased daughters Alafatu Joke who delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the family, said the event wouldn’t have attracted a large crowd had her father not been a people’s man.

    “We wish to thank the Almighty Allah for our father whom we believed, left this world better than he met it. He looked for the best in others and have the best he had.  He also made us all see how beautiful this world is with and without him.

    ‘’We are sure he is at peace with his creator.”

     

  • LASU launches e-Help Desk to boost service delivery

    The Lagos State University (LASU) has launched an e-Help Desk to process requests from its internal and external publics online to improve service delivery.

    The Dean of the Faculty of Science in the university, Prof. Benjamin Aribisala, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 20 workers, drawn from various units in the institution had been trained to man the desk.

    Aribisala said the people were trained to use the LASU e-Help Desk software, which was developed by the faculty of ccience as part of its research effort to serve the university’s stakeholders better.

    He said: “LASU is the only university in Nigeria with the e-Help Desk software which is developed by our faculty of science. The university is moving forward in the area of information because we have clients all over Nigeria and around the world.

    “Our clients at one time or the other desire to make request or get information online for one thing or the other. But because there are no representatives on ground to oblige them, they have to take the stress, risk and expenses of travelling down to get the information even from abroad. With the e-Help Desk, our representatives would be available online, 24 hours and would attend to the requests as sent on our various designated website.’’

    Aribisala said the idea behind the innovation was to also ensure that the publics were dealing with the right resource persons of the university, so as to eradicate cases of fraudsters.

    “Many are victims of fraudsters, especially in the area of admission, due to the problem of impostors.

    “With this desk, the public will be sure of dealing with the right university representative, who will also advice and direct them appropriately on their request,’’ he said.

    The dean said the software was human-friendly and could be accessed on smart phones, laptops or desktops by the staff for their convenience at any time or place.

    He said the response time to resolve issues sent in by a client, would be within 24 hours.

    According to him, in case of human oversight, the administrator of the software has already programmed a 48 hours escalation level to move a complaint, which is unaddressed, to an immediate superior boss.

    “If the immediate boss also does not resolve the complaint within 24 hours, the request automatically drops on the link of the registrar or vice-chancellor within another 48 hours to be addressed.

    “The software administrator has capability to monitor how many requests come in and how many are treated or untreated accordingly,” Aribisala said.

  • My father died preparing for Eid-el-Fitri – LASU Registrar’s daughter

    A one-time Registrar of the Lagos State University (LASU), Mr Owolabi Amisu, passed on early on Tuesday morning while preparing for the Eid-el-Fitri prayers, according to his eldest daughter, Joke.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Amisu, who was appointed registrar in 1998, held sway until 2004.

    A native of Epe in Lagos State, Amisu died at the age of 71, according to the family.

    Grieving over the father’s death, Joke told NAN: “It is very disheartening and shocking.”

    She said he was not sick until he passed on suddenly.

    “My daddy woke up sound and healthy early this morning to prepare for Eid-el-Fitri prayers.

    “Not until 8.00 am that he complained of a slight headache and we immediately rushed him to Epe General Hospital for treatment.

    “But he could not survive it as he gave up the ghost at 9.00 am, ” she said.

    Meanwhile, condolences have poured in for the family of the late LASU Registrar, among is from a Lagos lawmaker, Mr Segun Olulade, who described him as a knowledgeable and intelligent man.

    According to him, Amisu had identified some societal problems and proffered corrective measures.

    “Amisu will be sorely missed by all in Epe division because he always put his deep knowledge and understanding of academics at the disposal of people.

    “I am deeply saddened by the death of the former registrar. But as a believer, we must take every occurrence as the will of God.

    “I condole with his immediate family, the Muslim community and Epe,” Olulade told NAN in Epe.

    He urged youths particularly in the area to emulate his exemplary life style.

    The Chairman, Eredo Local Government, Mr Adeniyi Saliu, expressed sadness over the death of Amisu, describing it as a great loss to Epe, Eredo community and the academia.

    He will be remembered for his boldness, courageous stance and wealth of knowledge which marked him out in the present day Nigeria,” he also told NAN.

    Also, Mrs Aderonke Ige, the immediate past Registrar, Lagos State Polytechnic, said: “His death is shocking to me because I talk to him virtually everyday.

    “I did not expect him to leave us so soon. I will miss him greatly and his wealth of knowledge.

    “He is well known in the academic environment as an intelligent and courageous man.”

  • Tinubu to build faculty complex at LASU

    Former Lagos State governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is to build a complex to house the Faculty of Arts at the Lagos State University (LASU)) in Ojo.

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, broke the news to reporters yesterday in Lagos.

    Fagbohun said the donation, the value of which was not given, would mark the maiden edition of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Spirit of Africa Awards, instituted by the institution to honour the statesman.

    The vice chancellor said the awards had been slated for September 27, and that the event was designed to facilitate Africa’s renaissance.

    He said President Muhammadu Buhari is expected at the event.

    Fagbohun said: “The former Visitor to our university, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has fully bought into this vision of our institution by accepting this event to be held annually in his honour.

    “Asiwaju Tinubu has long been a champion of a progressive cause in Nigeria and he is a committed Pan-Africanist.

    “His advocacy for anti-poverty initiatives in ending all forms of ethnic and religious biases in Nigeria is well known,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the vice-chancellor as saying.

    “It is our fervent belief that the institutionalisation of the Spirit of Africa Awards will contribute to the spread of knowledge and the pursuit of excellence on the African continent.”

    Fagbohun said the theme of the event is: Africa: A New Dawn or a Newer Colonialism? and that the celebration will include an award to three unsung heroes of corporate governance in Africa.

    He said: “We will be hosting eminent personalities across the African continent, including heads of government, leaders in private and public sectors and policy makers from all walks of life.”

    According to him, a former United States  envoy, Mr Walter Carrington, has been chosen to lead a team of respected individuals to select people to be honoured at the event.

  • Alleged sex scandal case before disciplinary committee, says LASU

    The Lagos State University (LASU) yesterday said it had issued a query to an Associate Professor in its Department of Economics over alleged sexual assault of a student, and the case was already before a Joint Action Disciplinary Committee.

    The university’s spokesman, Mr Adekoya Martins, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the management of the institution had zero tolerance to such act.

    NAN reports that an Associate Professor of Economics in LASU was allegedly caught two weeks ago sexually assaulting an unidentified female undergraduate of his department.

    Martins said the case, already before the disciplinary committee, would thereafter be forwarded to the University Senate for consideration.

    The university Registrar, Mr Olayinka Amuni had told NAN in an earlier interview that the sanction for such act once established would be dismissal.

    Amuni said: “Once we are able to establish that a worker engages in an illegal relationship with any student, the person is dismissed from the system because it is the height of academic irresponsibility.

    “We are an institution guided by rules and regulations, and once we have an official report or an allegation of someone indulging in sexual harassment, the first thing we do is to issue query to the person. The query is to get information from the person whether indeed that really happened or not.

    “We would examine whatever response you give with the evidences before us and if the evidences are not genuine, we won’t push further. But if we can find element of truth in what is before us, the matter is sent to disciplinary committee and the sanction for such activities is dismissal,” he said.

    Amuni said the university management had continued to encourage its students to confide in them and report any form of harassment from their lecturers or non-academic staff.

  • LASU holds workshop today

    The Department of English in the Lagos State University (LASU) in conjunction with the Nigeria Pragmatics Association will today commence a three-day National Workshop on Pragmatics Research.

    The workshop, theme, “Current trends in pragmatics research, theory and practice,” will hold at Central Language Laboratory Complex in LASU.

    Prof Nana Aba Appiah Amfo from University of Ghana will deliver a keynote address, while Prof Charles Ogbulogo from Covenant University, Lagos and Prof Akin Odebunmi from University of Ibadan are the plenary speakers.

    The workshop facilitators are Prof. Sola Babatunde from the University of Ilorin; Prof. Austin Nwagnara from the University of Lagos; Prof. Esther Ugwu from the University of Benin; Prof. Gbenga Ibileye from the Federal University of Lokoja; Prof. Yisa Kehinde Yusuf from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Prof. Victoria Alabi from the University of Ilorin.