NigeriaDecides2023: LASU makes U-turn, suspends ongoing examinations

After consistent resistance by the students’ union, the Management of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has rescinded its decision to continue academic activities during the forthcoming general elections.

The university had on Monday, 13 February, announced that the second-semester examinations for the 2022/2023 academic session that commenced that Monday would continue till the evening of 23rd February before a four-day break would be observed.

The university had insisted its students would resume to continue the examination on Tuesday, 28 February, and observe another break between 9 and 13 March, and should resume on Tuesday, 14 March to continue the examinations.

The management said its decision was taken at an emergency meeting of its Senate, a body of mostly professors on the campus.

The latest development was against the directive by the minister through the National Universities Commission (NUC), asking all universities and inter-university centres to be shut between 22 February and 14 March so that students could participate in the general elections.

Students kick

In response, the university’s students’ union said the decision could lead to mass failure, saying the cash crunch has already been affecting the students negatively.

A student of the Faculty of Law, who does not want to be quoted for fear of sanctions, said many students had been missing their examinations due to their inability to access cash for transportation to the school.

The student said asking students from various destinations “to be going to and fro like that would put them in a bad state of mind and (they) may end up performing very poorly in their examinations.”

Meanwhile, a message shared with its members of the Faculty of Education Students’ Representative Council (SRC) by its Speaker, identified simply as Nifemi, a copy of which was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, explained the union’s stance against the university’s decision.

The statement reads in part: “After the senate meeting that lasted for over an hour with loads of arguments both from our end as student leaders and from the Senate, the Vice-Chancellor still stood her ground to disallow the extension of holidays initially stipulated by the Federal Government.

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“I really commend the efforts of the 32nd LASU Students Union President, Comrade Adeoye Adelakun for standing his ground to fight for students rather than support the management. I also commend the effort of the President, Faculty of Law, Speaker, Faculty of Education, and other comrades who stood their ground as the mouthpiece of the students giving reasons why this long holiday is very essential.

“Safety measures and the scarcity of the legal tender were the two major points raised with the fact that some of our students couldn’t make it to school due to the insufficiency of the legal tender in circulation.”

The statement added that though the Vice-Chancellor, Ibiemi Olatunji-Bello, a professor, “walked out in annoyance but gave the verdict that there would be another Senate meeting on Thursday.”

U-turn

The university Senate at its meeting on Thursday (today) reversed its earlier decision and approved that the students should embark on holiday between Thursday (today) and 14 March.

In a tweet shared on Thursday on its verified handle, titled: “LASU Senate Suspends Examination till 14th March,” announced the reversal of the earlier decision on the schedule of the second-semester examinations.

It reads in part: “The Senate at its meeting of 23 February, reversed its earlier decision on the schedule of the Second Semester Examinations for the 2021/2022 Academic Session and decided that the ongoing examinations and all academic activities be suspended from 6p.m, Thursday, 23 February, till Tuesday, 14 March 2023.

“The decision was in view of the prevailing socio-economic and security challenges in the country. Consequently, all students are directed to proceed on a three-week break to allow them to exercise their franchise in the upcoming general elections scheduled for Saturday, 25th February, and Saturday, 11th March.”