The Ojo campus of the Lagos State University (LASU) has been shut down indefinitely by authorities of the university, following a student protest against closure of the school’s registration portal preparatory to the 2012/2013 semester examinations.
The unavailability of the portal means that students who have not paid their school fees are barred from doing so, and are therefore ineligible to write the examination.
Irate students blocked the Lagos-Badagry expressway on Thursday, destroying properties and truncating the examinations scheduled to commence. A total of 1,292 students, who are yet to pay, claim that they have been unable to raise the new N250, 000 school fees.
Describing the new school fees and levies as exorbitant, the students made bonfires across the dual carriageway, stopping the passage of vehicles. They had been hoping that a marathon meeting of the university’s Senate would favourably consider their request for the re-opening of the online portal. The decision would have meant that all 1,292 students would automatically lose an academic session, in addition to the recently concluded six-month industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
During the disruption of the exam, students who were already seated in the examination hall sustained injuries while examination materials were destroyed.
A confrontation with anti-riot policemen preventing the students from gaining entry to the university’s administrative block degenerated into chaos, as two Toyota Corolla cars belonging to the authorities were vandalized beyond repair while the policemen released canisters of teargas into the air to disperse the students, many of whom were injured.
Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. John Obafunwa narrowly escaped death, as the students pelted him with stones, sticks and other dangerous objects. His official car was vandalised and turned upside down by the rampaging students.
As the vice chancellor made to escape from the school’s premises through the alternative route beside the Conoil Filling Station at the back of the institution, he came in contact with some of the protesting students. He then escaped leaving his car behind.Worried by the spate of crises in the institution in recent times, the Lagos State House of Assembly summoned Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye; Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Fatai Olukoga; the Governing Council of LASU, the management staff of the university, and five representatives of the Students Union Government to appear before the House on Friday.
The issue of the protest which also led to the destruction of school properties was brought to the notice of the House at its plenary session on Thursday under Matter of Urgent Public Importance by Chairman of the Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wahab Alawiye – King.
Hon. Alawiye–King, while briefing the House, appealed to the school authority to reopen the portal for two days to enable the students register and take examination so as to halt the current crisis.
He said students were to commence the second semester examination two weeks after resumption from the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) but added that without necessary registration, students could not write the examinations.
The issue generated serious debate on the floor of the House as the lawmakers who spoke saw the issue from different perspectives. Their arguments almost resulted in open disagreement, compelling Speaker Adeyemi Ikjuforiji to call for a short adjournment to enable the lawmakers resolve the issue at a parliamentary session, which last for over an hour.
On resumption of plenary, Ikuforiji announced the decision of members to invite the government officials before the House.
However, in its statement announcing closure of the university, the management of LASU claimed that out of the 12,858 duly registered full-time undergraduates, 11,566 students registered their courses online, while 1,292 students did not.
“To put the records straight, the university authority gave the affected students ample time to register their courses online between March and July 2013”, read a part of the statement.
“At various times, the management was magnanimous enough to extend the registration period for the concerned students but regrettably, these set of students did not utilise the opportunity provided to do so.
The management acknowledged that the few students who did not register approached them by way of protest to re-open the registration portal a day to the commencement of the examination, but the authorities felt the request came rather too late and could disrupt the smooth conduct of the examinations.
