LASU students disrupt ASUU NEC briefing

Some students of the Lagos State University (LASU) suspected to have been sponsored disrupted the media briefing of the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over alleged plan by the union to embark on strike.

For close to one hour, students with different placards denounced the ASUU NEC meeting and chanting anti ASUU songs asking ASUU leadership to leave the university and allow them (students) write their forthcoming examinations scheduled for December 15. The protesting students confronted ASUU leadership, telling them to stop meddling in LASU affairs and that the university was not the only institution in the country even as they rejected appeal from the union to allow peace to reign.

It took the intervention of ASUU National treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu, who battled for over 14 minutes to persuade the students to drop the agitation, imploring them to remain calm, saying the union was with them during the school fees crisis.

His words: “We are here in LASU to address national issues. Anybody that told you that ASUU is preparing for strike is a disgruntled person.” We are not in LASU to declare strike or disrupt your forthcoming exam. Don’t allow yourselves to be used by those that have been suspended from the union.”

It also took the intervention of LASU Students Union President, Mr. Nurudeen Yusuf to calm the situation, stressing, “there is no where in any Nigerian university that students have disrupted ASUU NEC and it will not happen here in LASU.”

He warned that protesting students that the nation is watching their action because of the media presence at the event adding ‘’don’t be misinformed by disgruntled element. ASUU is a comrade and our supporters. Don’t be incited by the bad element, ASUU is not embarking on any strike because it takes a long process to declare a strike’’.

Addressing newsmen after the NEC meeting ASUU National President, Dr. Nasir Isa, said ASUU LASU members have been at loggerheads with the university administration for close two year and blamed it on administrative impunity, reckless disregard for established norms and witch-hunting by the Vice Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa.

Nasir used the opportunity to call on the visitor to LASU, Governor Babatunde Fashola to constitute a visitation panel to the university to expose and check crisis, warning ‘’the university governing council and Governor Fashola must call the VC to order to save LASU’’.

‘’Our union has resolved to throw our weight behind our branch at LASU in their call for a visitation to LASU to unravel and correct the causes of the sporadic crises in the university. The union is aware that the VC is colluding with some suspending members of ASUU LASU to stop ASUU check-off dues and throw the university into further crises.

The ASUU condemned in strong term the withdrawal of the PhD certificates of ASUU LASU chairman and other lecturers noting that what the university administration would have done was to produce the correct PhD and give it back to the owners without making noise.