lasu crisis

LAGOS — Vehicular and business activities were completely disrupted, Monday, as students of Lagos State University, LASU, barricaded the busy Ojo-Badagry expressway, in protest against the Lagos State government’s refusal to reverse the proposed 725 per cent hike in tuition fees. The protest, which lasted over 10 hours, forced passengers, traders, and civil servants back home, as there were no vehicles to commute them to their destinations. Justifying the protest, Comrade Olateju Azeez, Public Relations Officer, Lagos State University Students’ Union, said it was necessary, following the refusal by Lagos State government to reverse the exorbitant hike in tuition fees. In his words: “There are indications that the Lagos State government is trying to increase old students school fees along with the freshers to N120,000. Therefore, the Lagos State University Students ’ Unions are protesting against all political miscreants in Lagos State.” Also speaking, Mr Azeez Rasheed, Speaker, Students’ Parliamentary Council, SPC-LASU, said: “We met with law makers at Lagos Assembly, Alausa, Sunday, November 20, 2011, and they told us that Governor Babatunde Fashola said he could only afford to reduce the school fees by five per cent. They also affirmed to us that the governor said he would shut down LASU if we don’t agree with his proposal.” On his part, President, Lagos State University Students’ Union, LASUSU, Comrade Akeem Durojaiye, said: “We all know that in Gov. Fashola’s manifesto, he promised to give qualitative education to the masses. But with the new regime of fees, it shows that Lagos State Government is not bothered by the plight of the less privileged.” Another student, who called himself ‘Apostle of Positive Change’, said: “Increment to me is not the solution to LASU’s inherent problems. I suggest that the State Government should toe the line of Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who injected into his State’s education, N4.3 Billion of the over N6 Billion earned by his predecessor, Ikedi Ohakim, as security votes”