LASU shut as staff, students ordered to vacate campus

The ongoing protest by employees of the Lagos State University (LASU) took a new dimension yesterday as the management ordered immediate closure of the institution and directed staff and students to vacate the campus.

However, the university authorities hinged the sudden indefinite  closure on the general elections.

The weeklong protest by the three staff unions peaked as the workers kicked against the dismantling of union vehicles by the state government.

The closure of the 30-year-old university was conveyed to newsmen yesterday via a text message from the Director of Centre for Information Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Ronke Osho.

When the news about the closure spread round the campus, the protesting staff and students wondered when the Senate of the university met to take such a decision, adding that six persons could not take such decision, on behalf of thousands of workers.

The text message read: “In view of the forthcoming national and state elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11 respectively, the university management of LASU has declared a recess for both staff and students with effect from Monday 23, 2015.”

“Students and staff are therefore, advised to vacate the campus immediately. The date of resumption will be announced later.’’

On the protest, workers alleged that Lagos State government officials stormed the campus in the early hours of yesterday with a towing van to pull the buses and vehicles used by the staff union to block the two main gates.

In the process of pulling the buses and vehicles, they were badly damaged and this action further angered the workers, who staged a protest around the campus chanting anti-management songs and bearing placards with different inscriptions.

No fewer than six police vans and about 20-armed policemen were stationed at the main gate of the university and their attempt to enter the campus was resisted by the workers who chased them out.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), LASU chapter, Comrade Saheed Oseni, noted that rather than address the issues in contention, the state government and the university management allegedly vandalised their buses and vehicles used to block the two gates.

He confirmed that what happened early yesterday, triggered the renew protest, stressing:  “We don’t have any issue with the state government but with the university management,” even as he decried the silence of the Governing Council over the ongoing crisis.

The workers yesterday vowed that the embattled the Vice Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa would not be allowed into the campus and rejected the state government idea to allow the VC to complete his term.