by Ogundimu Omolabake
Lagos
state university for years have been in lots of challenges, one of which is the
increment in their tuition fees.
Governor
Babatunde Raji Fashola, upon his entry as the governor of Lagos state
implemented a lot of changes of which the increment of Lagos state university
tuition fee was included. The fee was increased from #25,000 to a whooping sum
of #197,000 for art students and #350,000 for medical students.
The
governor said the decision for hike in the institution tuition fee was reached
when in 2010, the students of the institution besieged the Lagos state assembly
demanding for certain changes to be made in their school as the condition of
the school was in a deplorable condition and part of the recommendation of the
visitation panel set up by the governor and his aides was that the tuition of
the school should be increased for progress of the school.
Parents,
students and stakeholders alike were not pleased with this increase as they
said it was a move aimed at denying lower class children an opportunity to
acquire education, and a route out of poverty
The
student union and academic staff union of universities members called for a
reduction as at when the increase was stated and in an effort to calm these
bodies the government assured the existing students that the implementation of
the increased school fees would only apply to the new intake of the
institution. Howbeit that did nothing to reduce their anger over the 100
percent increase and so ensued a fight on behalf the new intakes by the
existing students.
Asuu-lasu
started the struggle for the reduction of the school fees but lasuites
continued the struggle. Akeem Olalekan, the student union president as at then,
organized protests, series of riots and protests were held by the students, all
this yielded negative response from the governor and students had to drop out
of the institution by forfeiting their admission.
Awoyeni
Tunde said “it was a day of joy when I got admission to study economics in
Lagos state university after so many trial to gain admission, but when I and my
family heard about the increasement in the school fees everything fell out
place for me till my parents were able to borrow the money from people to
enable me get an education by all means”.
One of
the members of the student union, who desired anonymity, described the
increment as an idea to take away education from children of common men, saying
that the increment is meant for the children of the elite further describing
the move as an unjust, unfair and irrational move on part of the government.
The
institution continued with academic activities but never gave up hope for the
reduction of the school fees. The academic session of 2013/2014 brought
Nurudeen Yusuf into power as the president of the school’s student union, he
brought forth hope and more compelling protest were made outside the governor’s
office, this time the protest included cooking of meals indicating that they
had no intention of leaving without positive response.
After
three years of continuous struggle by the affected students and subjection of
governor Fashola to a barrage of remonstration by the public for what they
called an irrational increment of fee in a state owned university, the governor
announced the reduction of the fees by 34- 60 percent on June 11, 2014.
On the
19th convocation ceremony of the institution, if there was any news that the
entire Lasu community wanted to hear from the governor, it was the news of
reversal of the fees back to #25,000 implemented immediately.
Though
a big relief, parents and students saw this reduction as too good to be true,
saying that after three years of struggle and after his recent decision to
reduce the fees by 34-60 percent, that this decision of reversal is a political
tactics for the 2015 election.
Students
who scurried to pay will now be reimbursed at the rate of the June 2014
reduction made by the governor, it took three years to reduce the fee, and
students wonder now how long it will take to refund them. Will it be refunded
before the election? If then we will know if this action of reversal is a
tactics to help the governor and his party in the 2015 election or the
governor’s conscience telling him to listen to the agitation of the students
after so long.
However,
students still have a big smile on their faces, thanking the student union
president for never giving up hope and the governor for finally acknowledging
their grievances.
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