After a series of protest by students of the Lagos
State University (LASU) against the exorbitant
increase in tuition fees imposed on them by the
Lagos State Government, Governor Babatunde
Fashola of Lagos State on Wednesday approved a 60
percent reduction in the school fees being paid by
students of the university.
At a news conference this afternoon at the Bagauda
Kaltho Press Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, the Special Adviser
to the Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga
read a 17-point resolution of the ad-hoc committee
as approved by the State Executive Council headed
by Fashola.
He said government has agreed a reduction of tuition
ranging from 34 to 60 percent across the different
faculties and courses, saying that the Governing
Council of the school would now decide what
percentage reduction of the fee should be paid by
different faculties and courses.
Olukoga said after extensive deliberation on the
report of the ad-hoc committee, the State Executive
Council made observation and resolution regarding
the fees and recent actions embarked upon by staff
and students of the university.
“Government remains fully committed to the
development of the state university as a centre of
academic excellence and will continue to deploy
resources at its disposal towards the provision of a
conducive learning environment with up-to-date
facilities.
“While government recognizes the right of individuals
and groups to associate freely and protest, it notes
with emphasis that these rights do not suspend the
criminal laws. Neither can they justify actions that
show disrespect for or trample upon the freedom and
rights of other members of the society,” he said.
He said deriving from the foregoing, damage to
property, blockage of highways or other acts of public
nuisance were punishable offences under the
criminal law of Lagos State and could be justified or
excused under the guise of public protests as society
itself would be at risk of perpetual disturbance by
sundry interest groups.
He said government, however, commended the
students for taking up the invitation to participate in
the resolution of matters affecting their lives when
they met with the governor, saying that their
response by way of detailed observations and
suggestions had assisted government in taking a
second look at the issues in contention.
According to him, in welcoming the submission of the
students, he said government reiterated the fact that
it was not inflexible or resistant to change where
such is justifiable, stressing that government’s
commitment to continue subsidising university
education was a deeply-ingrained policy adopted to
ensure that no willing and able student is left behind.
“Despite the foregoing, the ad-hoc committee has
recommended and government has accepted that the
fees and charges payable by students for incidental
services and materials are amendable to a
downward review. Some of the fee components have
been applied to students across all levels when in
fact they can be justifiably limited to students at a
particular level only while some of the charges
included can still be reduced on compassionate
grounds.
“On the basis of these principles, government agrees
that with the subsidised tuition fees and appropriate
moderation of the incidental fees, a reduction ranging
from 34 percent to 60 percent is possible across the
different faculties and courses.
“Government has therefore approved the reduction
and, in accordance with the law setting up the
university, forwarded its approval to the Lagos State
University Governing Council for consideration and
implementation.
Pursuant to its mandate, the university’s Governing
Council will issue details of what is now payable by
students in each department and deal with all other
management matters of the university. All individuals
and groups within the community are advised to
relate with the university council accordingly,” he
explained.
Olukoga noted that notwithstanding the approval of
reduced fees for students in the institution,
government would retain and continue with its
enhanced scholarship and bursary provisions while
the research fund sponsored by the government
would also be sustained to foster a culture of
research and innovation in the university.
He assured that government would also sustain its
increased spending on infrastructure and physical
development of the campus, which had already
begun, to enhance the stature of LASU as a leading
institution of higher learning in Nigeria, hoping that
with the resolution of the fee issue, staff unions at the
university would immediately call off their strike and
ensure the resumption of normal academic activities.
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