Students jubilate as Fashola reverses hiked controversial LASU fees

After almost two years of running battle, punctuated by agitations and protests by students, lecturers and non academic staff, the Lagos State government, on Thursday, finally reversed itself on the controversial increase in tuition fees payable at the Lagos State University (LASU).

The decision to return to the old fee regime of about N25,000 (minimum) was announced by Governor Babatunde Fashola at the 19th graduation/convocation of the school which held at the main campus, Ojo.

Before now, the fees were raised to N192,000 for arts courses and N350,000 for sciences (medicine). They were, however, subsequently reviewed downward by between 34 and 60 percent by a committee set up by the government to look into merits and demerits of the increase. Despite this review, the students were still unsatisfied, as they insisted on total reversal.

The announcement by Fashola while delivering his address at the convocation sparked off wild jubilation by the students and staff of the school which had been enmeshed in crises with intermittent protests and strikes spanning about nine months.

Indeed, the reversal of the fees automatically brought down rising tension at the convocation. One of the students, who identified herself as Monsurat, described the government’s action as a “positive development”, stressing that it will ultimately bring back students who dropped out because they could not pay the increased fees.

Fashola, speaking on the development, said it was in response to the yearning of parents, guardians and senior citizens of the country, just as he commended both the students and the lecturers for accepting dialogue while the disagreement lasted.

“Our local Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has also accepted dialogue, an internal mechanism. I must commend you for that. This must be the character of LASU, to lead the way, away from destruction, and to move forward into a first class global institution.

“Our students have also shown that they can choose this path of conflict resolution. They have reached out to me for a revision of their fee, which I have acceded to, in consultation with the state executive council for reduction between 34 percent and 60 percent across board.

“In spite of this reduction, the students have again demanded for further reduction. And they have done so, in the most civilised way. And because of this, we had to consult extensively and we have come to the conclusion that the current economic situation of the country compels a reduction to the old tuition fees for the institution,” the governor said.

“I believe that with this, it will lead to the end of the activities of the busy-bodies who have resorted to use a genuine issue of how to fund tertiary education in our country in other to gain public recognition.

“While other well meaning citizens of the state were busy making efforts on how the issue could be better resolved they were busy instigating students and making mischief. Our students have shown that they value their education and will not fall prey to fair weather and self seeking people who masquerade as their friends.”

The governor said the objective of the detractors was to use the students’ genuine demands for their own selfish agenda.

“For me, we must now move on to the developmental work- students’ arcade that is ongoing in this great institution. This administration is determined to ensure that no child who seeks education is left behind.”