Pascal Arogorn Ibe
……LASU protest, cheap blackmail – Lagos govt reacts
Pandemonium broke in the early hours on Monday in the Lagos State University, Ojo Campus, when members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, barred the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Olanrewaju Fagboun and students from gaining access to premises.
It was gathered that the action was as a result of protest by the union members over non-payment of increment in salaries promised by the Lagos State Government after a year when the promise was made.
This came on the heels of resumption as announced by of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for tertiary institutions in the state to reopen on September 14, 2020. Students in 300 and 400 levels were to resume Monday, with other members of staff that had been on lockdown as a result of ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
Trouble started as early as 7 am as union members took over the entrance of the university from security personnel and turned back both human and vehicular movements from going in and out of the premises.
All entreaties by the vice-chancellor to prevail on the protesters was not heeded.
Speaking on the development, the Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, CIPPR, Mr Ademola Adekoya, told our correspondent that the state government was talking with the unions.
“We are hopeful that a settlement will be reached as soon as possible. The unions are discussing with the state government and a truce may be reached before the day runs out,” he said.
Reports from the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu and the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, showed that normal academic activities resumed there.
The Public Relations Officer of LASPOTECH, Mr Lanre Kuye, while commenting on the development, said staff and students were going about their normal activities.
Mrs Funmi Makanjuola of ACOED said the students were registering and preparing to conclude their examinations put on hold by the pandemic closure.
She explained that the examinations would start next week.
Reacting on behalf of the state government, the Special Adviser on Education. Tokunbo Wahab, said the protest was “uncalled for.”
According to Wahab, “LASU like other subvented Ministries, Departments Agencies, MDAs, collect the sum of N450,000,000.00(Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) monthly from the Lagos State Government as Subvention.
“The Government expects the institutions to also be responsible in the application of the funds and the staffing of the institutions.
“We must also remember that they have Internally Generated Revenue, IGR which they generate and not accountable to anyone on how same is expended.
“Aside the subvention , the government is also responsible for the infrastructural developments of the institutions and other ancillary things including payment for accreditation exercise for which the last one cost the government N450 million.
“The government has never promised has never promised the union salary increment at any time. This purely, blackmail.
“My appeal to the protesters is to have a rethink. Protest is not the right approach to solving this problems. The union should look inward by asking the management questions on finding and not heap the blame on the state government.
“The present administration led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been so benevolent to LASU enough since assumption of office and should be commended rather than being condemned.”
On phased resumption Wahab, a lawyer, stressed that compliance with COVID-19 safety rules is a vital prerequisite.
Speaking earlier on a Morning Show, webinar hosted by Arise TV, while discussing the topic, “The New Norm In Education And LASG Online Teaching Aids For Out-Of-School Students, the Special Adviser said that no student would be allowed into classrooms without the school administrators ensuring adequate safety measures after six months of lockdown.
According to Wahab, ” Reopening of schools will be in phases. On the 14th of September, Lagos State-owned tertiary institutions will reopen for the first time after six months of closure.
“We are going to start with final year students across our tertiary institutions. Then after their exams, those in their penultimate year can resume.”.
When asked about Lagos State government’s preparedness for resumptions in the tertiary institutions, Wahab said the government ably led by Sanwo-Olu and Incident Commander of COVID-19 Lagos, “is well prepared as every necessary preventive has been put in place to have the students back in school to continue their learning.”
“One of the many lessons we learnt as a government during the pandemic is to always plan for uncertainty. Thank God, Lagos State government did better than many other states in managing the pandemic in regards to education,” he said.
Wahab affirmed that, “Lagos State government is not owing any teacher even during Covid19 pandemic. But for private school teachers, it is definitely beyond State government capacity.”
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