COMMUNIQUE
OF A PUBLIC MEEETING ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (ERC) ON SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 2ND 2014 TO DISCUSS THE CRISIS THAT BROKE OUT ON THE MAIN CAMPUS OF
THE LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY (LASU) ON JANUARY 22 AND 23 2014
On Sunday February 2nd 2014, the Education Rights
Campaign (ERC) organized a public meeting to discuss the on-going crisis at the
Lagos State University.
The meeting which held at the National Secretariat
of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) at No 162, Agbotikuyo Bus Stop, Ipaja
Road, Agege Lagos had in attendance students of LASU from all levels, members
of LASU alumni, the Public Relation Officer of the National Union of Lagos
State Students (NULASS), the President, Public Relations Officer and Social
Director of the newly elected executive of the Lagos State University Students
Union, leaders of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) and concerned members of
the public.
The meeting was called against the background of
the 6-point resolution of the Lagos State Assembly which sought to put the
entire blame of the crisis that occurred in LASU on the students alone without
sparing a thought for the insensitive actions of the University management
particularly the Vice chancellor as well as the root cause of the crisis which
is the fee hike
After several hours of exhaustive deliberation, the
meeting agreed as follows:
(1) That the protest of Wednesday and Thursday 22
and 23 January 2014 as well as the inability of about 1,292 students to
register have as their root causes the outrageous fee hike to between N193,750
and N348,750 carried out by the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola Government in
September 2011 against the wish of students, members of the University
community and Lagosians. The meeting observed that the fee hike is anti-poor
and has not led to any noticeable improvement in facilities and teaching
infrastructures in LASU. Rather it has led to a sharp decline in the fortunes
of LASU with many departments and programs now facing possible rationalisation
and closure because of the few number of students applying for them or being
able to pick up offer of admission as a result of high fees. The sharp decline
in student enrolment has also seriously threatened the jobs of both academic
and non-academic staffs in the university. Without reversing the fees, there is
no guarantee that this same crisis or something far higher than this will not
occur in future especially because the living standards and income of many
working class families are declining thus making it difficult for parents to
continue to afford the outrageous fee every session.
(2) That while we do not endorse violence as a
method of struggle and agitation for just demands, the blame for the crisis of Thursday January 23 should be laid firmly at
the doorstep of the University's Vice Chancellor whose insensitive actions
especially his refusal to listen to the plea of students who besieged his
office from morning till evening of Wednesday January 22 pushed students to the
wall and compelled them to take the only course of action available to avoid
repeat of the Semester. As the meeting observed even domesticated animals when
pushed to the wall are forced to react. The reality is that the University had
the golden opportunity of averting the crisis on Wednesday but in an arrogant
manner threw this opportunity away while daring students to do their worst.
(3) The meeting agreed that the resolutions of the
Lagos House of Assembly (LAHA) are one-sided, unjust and an attempt to lay the
entire blame at the feet of students while covering up the real issues that led
to the crisis which is the fee increment and the Vice Chancellors arbitrariness
and insensitivity. The meeting noted that the Assembly while raising concerns
about the destruction of some properties of the institution while the protest
lasted failed to show the same concern for the several LASU students who were
injured and hospitalised as a result of the mayhem unleashed on them by
trigger-happy policemen. While the Speaker visited the University to inspect
the properties allegedly destroyed, no similar visits were paid to injured
students who were at the period receiving treatments at the hospital. The meeting
wondered whether human lives are now so unimportant and dispensable in Governor
Babatunde Raji Fashola's vision of Lagos as a Mega City!
(4) The meeting observed that out of all the
resolutions of the assembly, only the one that expressly advised the University
Management to open the portal for two days is agreeable to students. However
the meeting noted that unless fee hike is immediately reversed, there is no
guarantee all the 1,292 students would be able to complete their registration
within the two-day grace period. The meeting vowed to fight until all 1,292
students complete their registration and write examinations.
(5) In opposition to the LAHA 6-point resolutions,
the meeting therefore agreed to the following 6-point demands:
6-POINT
DEMANDS TO LAHA AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT
(a) Reversal of the fee hike
(b) Opening of LASU so that students can register
and write examinations
(c) Improvement in the funding of LASU and
democratic management of the institution
(d) No victimisation of any student of the
institution
(e) No payment of reparation. Repairs of properties
allegedly vandalised during the protest should be carried out by using the
proceed from the caution fee that all LASU students pay.
(f) Written and publicized apology letters from
both the University management and Lagos State government to all LASUITES
(6) The meeting agreed to begin active mobilisation
of all LASU students, parents of LASU students and members of the public and to
partner with civil society organizations, university's staff unions and trade
unions to seek redress to the injustice contained in the resolutions of the
Lagos State House of Assembly. For this purpose the following action plan was
drawn up:
ACTION
PLAN TO SEEK REDRESS
(1) Meeting agreed to start an online petition on
the LASU crisis to gather signatures of all those who want a redress and
justice especially around the above demands. Meeting also agreed to launch a
social media campaign under the hashtag #SaveLASU to mobilise public opinion
against the outrageous fee hike in LASU and to seek redress to the cases of
injustice cited above.
(2) Meeting agreed that this petition will be
submitted with a peaceful protest march to the Lagos State House of Assembly
(3) Meeting agreed to organise a press conference
on Wednesday 12 February 2014 where the date of the protest march will be
announced.
(4) Meeting agreed to reconvene on Saturday 8
February 2014 at the same venue to take further decisions on how to build the
campaign including picking a date for the proposed protest to the Lagos State
House of Assembly.
(5) Meeting set up an 11-man SAVE LASU CAMPAIGN
COMMITTEE chaired by Comrade Sulaimon Onikoro Adeyemi with a mandate to
coordinate the struggle and ensure constant mobilisation of LASUITES and
concerned members of the public to all meetings and activities until all the
demands of the struggle are won.
(6) Meeting ended with a clarion call on LASU
students, parents, activists and all those who want a redress to the injustice
meted out to LASU by the State government to attend in their large numbers the
next meeting scheduled to hold by 10am on Saturday February 8, 2014 at the ERC
National Secretariat situated at No 162, Ipaja Road, Agbotikuyo Bus Stop, Agege
Lagos.
Aluta Continua! Victoria Ascerta!
Signed Signed
Hassan
Taiwo Soweto Sulaimon Onikoro Adeyemi
National
Coordinator, ERC Chairman, SAVE LASU CAMPAIGN
COMMITTEE
07033697259
08022298117
No comments:
Post a Comment