Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Lagos State University chapter are insistent that there are plans being made by management of the university led by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lanre Fagbohun to increase tuition fee of the tertiary institution.
Comrade Adeola Oyekan, Assistant Secretary-General of ASUU, LASU branch and Dr. Isaac Oyewunmi, suspended Chairman of ASUU LASU, maintained that this has been in deliberation by the governing council of the institution in negation of claim made by university through its monthly bulletin urging students and entire public to disregard talks that the institution is attempting to increase fee.
Discussing the issue of fee increment, the union members agreed that the management believes there is a need for them to jack up fees prompting the Vice-Chancellor to engage stakeholders and convincing them to think in the same direction.
Weighing the effect the tuition fee increment will have on students, Mr. Adeola concluded that the increment would successfully take quality education out of the reach of average Lagosians leaving education to those who have the resources to pursue it.
“There is the conviction by our union that there is a calculated attempt to take education out of the reach of the average Lagosian and we are also affected because we know that inevitably, it will affect us too because it will lead to downsizing of staff,” Mr. Adeola said.
Mr. Adeola further said that the Vice Chancellor denying his intention of increasing tuition fees is baseless because there is evidence and it is accessible to all.
“We know the governing council has considered it and papers have been issued to that effect. It will just be unfortunate if the Vice Chancellor will come out to deny what has been written in black and white.”
Dr. Oyewunmi stated that LASU chapter of ASUU has been embroiling in battles to frustrate the plans to increase tuition fees in the institution and warned that if the implementation is successful, the university will be left to bear the brunt.
“Our union is against such policy and what we are seeing unfolding in LASU is the unleashing of a series of steps which includes increasing of tuition fee. The university is already in the marketplace and we will wait and see the type of dance the university will dance. We are sure that this will be a dance that the university will have to think about again and again.”
It can be recalled that Lagos State University through an ex-Governor of the state, Babatunde Raji Fashola had in 2011 announced a 725 percent increase in the school fees to be paid by the 2011/2012 admitted students. This led to a massive protest with the students rejecting the increment and pushing the Governor to backtrack on his decision and setting the tuition at #25,000.
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