NULASS WRITES FASHOLA ON LASU FEE HIKE His Excellency, Executive Governor of Lagos State. Dear Sir, REASONS WHY LASU FEES MUST BE REDUCED THE INCREMENT IS UNLAWFUL; It is unlawful in the sense that, it is against the Aims and Objectives of the Law (Edict) Establishing Lasu. It is a known fact that the enabling law of any institution is the font et rigo of such Institution. Any policy or rules inconsistent which such enabling law, or which tends to defeat the aims and objectives of such enabling law, or tend to make the realization of its main items impossible, would be null and void to the extents of its inconsistency. The Law (Edict) makes it clear, that LASU’s Aims and Objectives is to:- Provide ready access for citizens of the state in particular to higher education regardlessly of social origin or income. To meet the specific manpower need of the state. To enhance the educational opportunity of Lagos State Indigenes, Among others. From the above, it could be authoritatively said that the government through the astronomical hike in LASU fees, has made the realization of the Aims and Objectives for which LASU is set up impossible to actualize. Because the Government by the hike has denied indigenes of the State University Education based on their social origin and income, as it is only the rich that can now afford to send their children to LASU. According to the Data Available to us, before 2011, LASU admits an average of 5,200 students annually, out of which 70% were indigenes while 30% were non-indigenes, based on the University admission policy. This means that an average of 3,640 indigenes were being admitted on a yearly basis. However, since 2011 when the hike in LASU fees took effect, Lagos State Indigenes no longer have access to their own Institution. According to datas made available by the Scholarship Board and published by The Nations Newspaper of the 17th of October, 2013, only 1,084 Indigenous Student can afford to go to LASU. Thus, if this figure is deducted from the initial 3,640 indigenes that had access to LASU before the hike, the result would be that 2,556 Lagos State Indigenes were denied University Admission in 11/12 Session only, as a result of the hike in fees. Thus, if the increment is retained for the next Ten (10) years, an average of 25,000 Lagosians would have been denied University Education. This would therefore be a clear breach of the unambiguous provision of the Law (Edict) establishing LASU. Furthermore, the Edict makes it clear that,the essence of LASU is to meet the specific manpower needs of the state. How can this be achieved when in the next Ten (10) years 25,000 Able-Bodied Youths would have been denied University Education. IT WOULD ENCOURAGE CORRUPTION IN THE CIVIL SERVICE OF THE S TATE. In a state where Civil Servants’ minimum wage is 18,000 and an average midle level Civil Servant of level 7 – 9 earns less than a N100,000, how does the government want its workerrs to pay their children school fees in LASU without indulging in corrupt practices . It can be categorically said that only a corrupt person who earns less than 100,000 and pays rents, deduct feeding and other domestic expenses can have extra money to send his or her children to LASU. So if the government does not want a corruption filled Civil Service, the reversal of the FEE is neccessary. ISSUES OF BURSARY AND SCHOLARSHIP. In recent time, Governement have gone on a media propaganda that they are giving BURSARY & SCHOLARSHIPS to indigenes of the State, but the Governmenmt have refused to tell the people that the Bursary is a paltry sum of between 50,000 to 80,000 payed to Indigenes in LASU who paid 250,000 as school fees (this payment is not automatic as students have to go through rigours and pains in the name of Indigeneship interviews and screening). Also, the Government refused to tell the people that the Scholarship is 200,000 and it is for very selected few who have made Second Class-Upper (3.5 CGPA) in their respective courses, (this 2.1 or 3.5 CGPA is not also a valid ticket to securing the Scholarship as you must also go through some stress and untold hardship). It must be noted that Scholarship and Bursary had been in place even before this present administration came into place and thus it cannot be said to be a mitigation of the high school fees being paid. Furthermore, it must also be stated that the Award of Bursary and Scholarship is one hurdle and the collection of payment is another hurdle. We can state categorically that the payment of Bursary and Scholarship had always been delayed and inconsistent. Sometimes, it is not given till after the Session for which it is meant for is over, thus rendering it Useless for Purpose Presently, the payment of Bursary have not been paid to some individuals for the past Two (2) Years, even, students in other institutions were never paid at all in 2013. Flowing from this, the payment of Bursary and Scholarship can not be a shield for the government, as it is not what it should be. ISSUE OF DROP OUT We think if not for anything, the government should be able to consider the many youths who droped out of LASU despite being offered admission but could not afford to pay the fees. The government should consider this intelligent brains whose parents can not afford to raise the 250,000, not to talk of collecting it back in form of Bursary or Scholarship. According to Victor Hugo, He Who Opens a School Door, Closes The Prison. Sir, this invariably means the more people you give the oppotunity of accessing University Education, the more chances of reducing the crime rate and decongesting the prisons. Conclusively we believe the Government can really be progressive when the fees is reduced. We implore the State Government to tread the path of Honour by doing the necessary thus saving the future of our State. Signed MEDEMAKU ABAYOMI N. National President (National Union of Lagos State Students) O8033824594/08123598733
Posted on: Sat, 05 Apr 2014 11:46:28 +0000
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