ASUU and LASU crisis

Read more about earlier events here

A FACTION of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) Lagos State University (LASU) on Tuesday 3rd of February 2015 denied rumours making the rounds that that the school was enmeshed in internal crisis over the recent withdrawal of 19 doctorate certificates from some persons, including a factional chairman, Adekunle Idris.

According to the faction, the affected certificates had been re-issued and not a
subject of controversy as  peddled in some quarters.

Interim chairman of the union, Ayodele
Asokere, said the statement credited to some aggrieved members of the school that LASU was in crisis was not true and capable of putting the institution in bad light.

According to him, the environment is peaceful and students and staff, both academic and non-academic- were fully and dutifully engaged.

It would be recalled that members of the Idris- led ASUU-LASU, in company of ASUU in Lagos Zone, last week protested that the school was in crisis, stressing that it was high time Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), looked into the matter.

The Idris-led group had complained of
victimisation by management, withdrawal of doctorate certificates, alleged incompetence of the vice chancellor, infrastructural decay among
others.

On Tuesday, however, Asokere and seven of the nine affected Ph.d holders (among the academic staff ) said they had received fresh certificates following necessary reviews and corrections.

The university authority last October ordered that nine lecturers who had completed their doctorate between 2003 and 2013 return their certificates for corrections to be effected. The matter went up to the Senate of the school, when the Head of Department, Marketing, Dr. Scholastica Udegbe, complained
that her certificate showed Marketing instead of International Business that she had researched.

Further investigations revealed that several other certificates (issued between 2003 and 2013) carried wrong nomenclature, including courses that were not offered in the university.

Affected candidates, both within and l
outside the institution, were asked to return the certificates, to which nine lecturers complied, except ASUU chairman, Idris.

One of the affected lecturers, Dr. Babatunde Yusuf, said they were all directed to return the certificates on or before Tuesday, November 18, 2014.

“Nine out of 10 of us complied with the
Senate’s directive and handed over our certificates to the issuing body and exactly 72 hours later, the senate met and re-awarded the degree reflecting what we applied for and studied, thereby correcting the anomalies reported,” he said.

Yusuf observed that the award took into
consideration key stages like the area of specialisation, as stated in the application; course work as reflected by area of specialisation; seminars presented in the area of specialisation and lastly specialisation as stated in the thesis.

“It was after this that nine of us who obeyed the Senate’s resolutions were re-issued with the corrected certificate. Rather than Adekunle Idris submitting his certificate for review and re- award, he has been denigrating and demeaning
the power of the university senate and the integrity of LASU,” he said.

Asokere stressed that there was no crisis in the university, saying “those fanning the embers of crisis in the university were outsiders who are working in collaboration with a few disgruntled elements in the university.”

According to him, “Please do not be misled by mischief makers and propagandists who are determined to create panic where there should be none and indeed, there is none.

“I stand here representing the position of all the academics in Lagos State University to state that there is no crisis in the Lagos State University. We desire sustenance of the peaceful and calm atmosphere which prevails in LASU especially as this has brought about so many development that are ongoing especially in the area of infrastructure development in Lagos State university,” he said.

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NANS speaks

FROM the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Tijani Usman Shehu, has come an appeal that the government should increase the allocation to education in the 2015 budget, saying the current vote falls short of UNESCO recommendation and what is obtainable in other African countries.

Shehu who expressed with dismay that
hitherto education in the country is not receiving adequate attention as it ought to, worries that the trend is likely to jeopardise the future of the country if not adequately addressed.

He challenged government to make education matter a priority and also look into alternative ways of funding education so Nigeria could acclaim its rightful position in the international
arena.

He said, “There is no denying the fact that
education is very poorly funded in Nigeria, which is yet to comply with the UNESCO recommendation that 26 per cent of annual budget be spent on education. Nigeria spends 8.34 per cent of her annual budget on education.

As concerned education stakeholders,
we are calling for the upward revision of the 2015 budget to meet the 26 per cent
recommended by UNESCO, as the amount voted for education fails to adequately address the funding of the vital sector.

“The future of university education in Nigeria will ultimately boil down to priorities. Government at all levels, career officers in the ministries of education and parastatals, the universities management team can decide to reverse this trend and shift university education costs away from those least able to afford it.

The situation in our higher educational
institutions will improve considerably if the government spends at least 25-30 per cent of her annual budget on education and out of this amount 18-20 per cent on capital expenditure
for infrastructure in the sector with low cost-sharing and tuition fee.”

Shehu averred that if government at every stage boosts their investment in public university education, there would be massive development of human capital needed for national advancement and better livelihood.

“Since the educational system needs to be financed, the private and public sector
assistance or contribution should be more encouraged. In order to derive these benefits, the government should uphold the World Bank’s
advice that Nigeria and thirty-eight other African countries should subject their educational system to revitalisation and selective expansion policies in order to benefit from the World Bank donor countries.

“The use of taxes whether direct or indirect, income or property tax could also be more intensified to generate more revenue for the country.

Likewise, government could explore
the re-introduction of loans to students of
tertiary institutions while the scholarship
schemes could be revamped at the federal and state levels,” he said.

For cost effective strategies of universities education to be achieved in the country, he urged government to pay adequate attention to policy frameworks; proper management and accountability of fund allotted to university education sector; and also ensure that officials
need to provide long-term solutions are elected rather than politically expedient fixes that leave the system of university education at risk.

Shehu also preached on the need to provide access to all qualified students regardless of their financial circumstances; meet the nation’s workforce needs by producing graduates able to contribute to every sector of society; and allocates resources based on a competition of ideas, not history, politics or privilege.

Written by Ujunwa Atueyi

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ASUU splits over LASU crisis

CITING several problems facing the Lagos State
University (LASU), the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU), Lagos Zone, on Tuesday 27 January
called on the State governor and Visitor to the
institution, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to send
visitation panel to LASU.
Addressing reporters at the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) ASUU secretariat, the Zonal
Coordinator, Dr. Adeola Nassir, said that the
situation in LASU had worsened, even as the
institution is gradually sliding into chaos.
But as this was ongoing in UNILAG, Akoka,
another faction of ASUU in LASU, at a briefing
held on the Ojo campus of the institution,
disassociated themselves on Wednesday 28 of january 2015 #8217;s
protest.

The group, allegedly loyal to the Vice
Chancellor, Prof. John Obafunwa, claimed there
is peace in the university, except for “some
external forces” trying to instigate some
disgruntled members of the union to foment
trouble and distabilise the system.
Nassir informed that the Vice Chancellor of the
institution, Obafunwa, had defiled several efforts
to restore peace and remove LASU from the
map of crises.

He expressed disappointment that the visitor
to LASU (Fashola) has still not yielded to
several calls made by the union to investigate
the crises at the institution.

According to him, “Developments at LASU have
since gone from bad to worse due to what we
perceived as witch-hunting of our members by
the LASU administration coupled with crass
incompetence, borne out of poor vision and
warped mindset of the vice chancellor.
“Ranging from the issue of withholding of
ASUU-LASU check-off dues, to irregular
appointments and promotions; interdiction of
Prof Tunde Fatunde; withdrawal of Ph.D
certificates of ASUU-LASU chairman, Dr.
Adekunle Idris; interference with the union’s
internal matters and denial of regularisation
interview to two temporary appointees.”
Other issues as raised by the union includes,
violations of rules and regulations governing the
university; the state of LASU consult and
ventures; and his full time tenure offices as the
vice chancellor and Chief Medical Examiner of
Lagos State.

“With this double standards, how can he
(Obafunwa) sits down and think out progressive
idea on how to move LASU forward? It is clear
to us that Obafunwa is never tired of instigating
crises for LASU and government just cover his
incompetence.

“Our union is disturbed that the Lagos State
government has continued to turn its face away
from these brazen anomalies. We therefore
wondered what level of crisis would prompt
government to act right and act fast in arresting
the drift at LASU.

“For the umpteenth time, we are asking that
the governor should call Obafunwa to order
whilst at the same time setting up visitation to
LASU immediately. The alternative is to watch
LASU snowball into more crises with the
attendant implications.”

To make their dissatisfaction known to the
state government and the public, the group in
yesterday’s protest at Alausa described
Obafunwa’s administration as anti-intellectual
and autocratic, challenging Fashola to call the
VC to order before the situation becomes
uncontrollable.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the ASUU-LASU
Caretaker Committee, Ayodele Asokere, at the
Ojo briefing, dissociated his group from the
protests.
Asokere said the protest was uncalled for and
should be disregarded, saying “it is a ploy to
lure the LASU students into political thuggery
and violence.

According to him, “I want to quickly address
the call to yesterday’s protest by one Comrade
Aremu of JAF. Many text messages have been
circulated in the last few days by one unknown
Dr. Idris, giving reasons for the protest.
“Some of the reasons given were victimisation
of students and lecturers. Secondly, they cited
an intention to increase LASU school fees and
thirdly they mentioned disruption of academic
freedom.

“We are constrained to state that such a rally
is not justified for now especially since the
university has just begun a new academic
session after the smooth and successful
completion of the 2013/2014 session.”
The ASUU-LASU said their findings after so
much consultation have not revealed any
intention to hike LASU fees, even as he said no
case of victimization have been established and
that academic freedom in the university is
guaranteed.
Asokere said: “Therefore, all the reasons stated
in the text messages are baseless and
unfounded. It is clear that some mischievous
individuals are bent on disrupting the peace and
progress in LASU and this individuals are
colluding with external agents to achieve their
devilish ends.”

The ASUU-LASU leadership enjoined LASU
students to steer clear of the planned protest
and avoid anything that could jeopardise their
future as well as the smooth running of the
university’s academic calendar.

“Students need to be informed that political
thuggery may come in different guises including
this one that wears the cloak of a peaceful rally.
Parents are therefore advised not to allow their
children and wards to be used by agents of
political parties who are disguising to be
unionists.

“Parents, please be alerted that those who are
calling for the disruption of academic calender in
LASU do not have their children or wards in
LASU but in private universities in the country
where they pay astronomical fees. Please, do
not be used by some insincere individuals to
achieve some selfish ends,” Asokere said.