LASU's 3 Month Strike Goes On, Awaits Governor Ambode's Action

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode will soon take far-reaching decisions that could rescue the crisis-ragged Lagos State University (LASU) from the hurt of self-inflicted disorder.

The 32-year-old institution has been shut down since March 16, when members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU-LASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU-LASU) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU-LASU) chased the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa and other principal officers out of the university campus, as convocation ceremonies got underway.

They were registering their displeasure over the management’s inability to accede to their demands.

The action prevented the graduating students from receiving their certificates, leading to a suspension of what would have been a week-long convocation activities. The university authority had to quickly design an eventual plan that paved the way for the graduates to participate in the National Youth Service (NYSC) scheme.

Already, a ministerial report, recording the background of the latest crisis, including suggestions on how to deal with it, has been forwarded to the governor by the university management. The crisis is also believed to have led to the sudden resignation, three weeks ago, of the chairman of the university’s governing council, Mr. Bode Augusto.

Both the institution’s management and the unions have blamed each other for the latest crisis.

The unions are demanding, among others, the payment of the balance of their salary increase arrears; promotion; regularization of casual staff and the removal of the university’s acting chief security officer. They are also insisting that the vice chancellor be relieved of his duties.

Despite the dispatch issued at the end of series of meetings between representatives of the Governing Council, University management and the four unions (ASUU-LASU, SSANU-ASUU, NAAT-LASU and NASU-ASUU) held on May 11, 16 and 20 at the Lagos State College of Medicine respectively, in which all contending parties agreed to allow peace to reign, the unions are yet to allow the university’s management team to enter the campus.

Governor Ambode steps in his bid to fully understand the issues, the governor recently met with the university management and the unions.

 A few days after the meeting, he approved the payment of the balance of the school fees paid by students of the institution, totalling N162.5 million, as a first step aimed at sopping the tension.