Students of Lagos State University, LASU, are no doubt really
grieved at the way things are going in their school. The students on
Thursday stormed the office of Governor Babatunde Fashola at Alausa,
Ikeja, to protest about their school fees hike, which was increased many
months ago. The students said they would not return home until their
school fees were reduced and all their arrested colleagues are released
unconditionally.
The students arrived at the office at about 3pm
in over 10 buses, came along with mats, mosquito nets and cooking pots,
among others. The female students quickly swung into action, setting up
fire woods to prepare beans near the entrance of the Governor’s Office.
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The students also defied a downpour that threatened their
demonstration, as they danced to solidarity songs and held mid-day
prayers to seek divine intervention....
President of the LASU
Student Union Government, Mr. Yusuf Nurudeen, said the students had
resolved to fight their cause until their demands were met by the
government.
Here is what he said; “Our school has been shut
down. Students are dropping out of the university on a daily basis. We
decided not to engage the party leaders because the people in government
do not understand any language. The only language they understand is
protest.
“We have resolved to fight this struggle by ourselves. We are a
pressure group in the country. We can do this alone. We do not want any
person to fight for us. We elected Governor Fashola. We elected all the
members of the House of Assembly. They must listen to us.
“Fashola
promised us a ‘Better Rewarding Future’. How can we have a rewarding
future without education? He has denied us education by the tuition
hike. Section 3(1) of the law that established LASU stated that the
university should be made available for all people irrespective of their
socioeconomic background and status. Now, the governor has made LASU
the University of the Rich.
“We will not leave until we hear
something from the government. We have gone everywhere and the police
shot at us. That is why we decided to come here today and tell the
governor what is on our minds. Also, our colleagues arrested by the
police must be released unconditionally.
“If the governor refuses to come out, we will remain here until he
comes out. If the governor can respond to issues that are less important
than this, he should come out and respond to the students of the state
he governs.”
The commissioner for Information and Strategy,
Aderemi Ibirogba, has said the government may be able to reach a
conclusion on the fees by June 9, the students are hoping that their
conclusion should yield result.
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