LASU Student Union Refuses Blame For Closure, Denies Backing Crisis

Students of the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, have kicked against a recent statement credited to the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, that the Lagos State University Students’ Union, LASUSU, is part of the reasons while the institution is still shut-down.

Recall that sequel to the general elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11 respectively, LASU authorities had in a statement on Monday, March 23, directed students and staff to vacate the campus immediately, on a recess, while the resumption date will be announced later. It was gathered that the recess was necessary to allay the fears of parents who wanted their children to vacate the campus during elections.
As the elections have come and gone, with no end to the recess, the LASU-SUG, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Adebanjo Fatai, on Wednesday, described as erroneous and unacceptable the statement made against them. Fatai said: “I deem it pertinent to bring to the attention of the public the efforts made so far by the Students’ Union in bringing about a lasting solution to the prolonged crisis in LASU, before and after the declared election recess by the university management and how the SA Education deceived us on resumption. “On March 16, 2015 the Staff Unions on campus agitated for their demands by closing down the school gates which concerns the Students’ Union because we were promised by the Staff Unions that it would never affect our academic activities.

As a Union that wanted a lasting solution on the issues on campus, we made a visit to the office of the SA Education on March 20, to consult him on how the issues in our school can be resolved, that was where he told us there would be recess to avert electoral violence.” “As the elections are over and with our school still shut-down, we therefore call on the civil societies, and the world at large to help us appeal to the State Government to reopen LASU for commencement of academic and administrative activities.

“Rather than engage in propaganda and incorrect allegations against the SUG, we call on government for the sake of posterity to re-open our school, as this prolonged recess is already taking its toll on especially our various final year students, particularly our final year Law students, who must proceed on a compulsory one year programme at the Nigeria Law school. They must not fail to meet up with the October Law school calender,” cautioned the students’ spokesperson

The Lagos State University has announced resumption date for the continuation of the 2014/15 session

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