LASU lecturers threaten strike, fault fee hike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities , Lagos State University, Ojo Chapter, on Thursday threatened to go on strike at the expiration of another 14-day ultimatum it declared on April 15.

The union made the declaration at its South-West zonal congress, held at the institution.

ASUU South-West Zonal Coordinator, Dr Adesola Nasir, said the ultimatum was with effect from April 15.

“The 14-day ultimatum trade dispute had been issued to accord the management an opportunity to address the demands of the union.

“ASUU would be holding its National Executive Council meeting at the expiration of the ultimatum and ASUU-LASU will embark on a full scale strik, if its demands are not met,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that ASUU- LASU had, on March 25, declared a 21- day ultimatum trade dispute, following the non-implementation of some agreements reached with its management over 12 months ago.

Nasir said ASUU, at the National level, had intervened to resolve the brewing crisis in the university through dialogue with the management.

He, however, said the issue was being handled with levity by the institution’s authorities.

“The national level had tried to arrest the trouble that is about to erupt at LASU. But the university authority says there are lots of demands they cannot resolve, except with the aid of the state government,” he said.

Nasir said the university authority had not met the demands of the lecturers but chose to engage in propaganda against the union.

He said the union, as a conscience of the nation, would not allow the hike in fees in the institution to remain.

“Student enrolment drops yearly due to the hike in fees, ranging from N197, 000 to N350,000. The annual enrolment in 2011/2012 before the increment was 3,052, but has dropped to 1,119 in the 2013/2014 admission,” he said.