LASU crisis deepens

The crisis at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has continued to stall academic activities in the institution, weeks after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended its four-month-old strike. Administrative offices and lecture halls have been under lock as the university workers stuck to their guns, never to resume work unless the Vice- Chancellor, Prof Lateef Akanni Hussain, is removed from office.

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Our reporter who visited the institution was greeted by the grave silence at the Administrative Unit, where fetish objects, suspected to be charms, were planted at the entrance doors to the offices of the Vice- Chancellor and his deputy. A small earthly ware was kept at the entrance of the VC’s office, while the door to the office of his deputy was sealed off with palm leaves, which traditionally signaled danger.

Academic and non-academic staff were seen in groups discussing the latest reports from their union leaders. Rumours flew in different direction at Abe-igi, the students relaxation centre, where various speakers held their listeners captive with fresh diet of lies.
Speaking to Daily Sun, one of the workers who wouldn’t want his name in print, warned that the earthly ware with its diabolical contents was a bad omen. He recounted a similar incident in the past when the management had to engage clerics to dispose fetish objects deposited in the institution. Reacting to our reporter’s questions on the fetish objects, he retorted that ‘only a fool dares a lion’.

The fear of these charms lurks in the hearts of other workers who have kept their distance from the Admin block. Most of them sat under tree shades, chatting and yearning for any bit of information that would trickle in. It was gathered that the workers have adopted serious austere measure since their salaries have not been paid for the past four months.

The protracted crisis in the university has kept over 70,000 students of the university on an indefinite holiday. The institution has been torn apart by internal feud over the second term bid of Professor Lateef Hussain as the Vice- Chancellor. Some aggrieved members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technicians (NAAT), have vociferously condemned the leadership style of the VC and called for his removal. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), LASU wing, led by the President, Mr. Gbemileke Bakare, has equally expressed its grievances, listing a legion of allegations against him.

In a paper circulated during the public hearing of the LASU crisis at the Lagos State House of Assembly, the workers described their boss as an emperor with an ‘iron fist’. “Lagos State University has become a prison under Prof Lateef Hussain since he assumed office on October 10, 2005. The Vice Chancellor arbitrarily witch-hunts and sacks staff for flimsy excuses. He denies the academic and non-academic staff their deserved promotion at will. LASU has become an ‘Old Peoples Home’ where retired, tired and expired friends of Prof Hussain take sanctuary”, the group claimed.
The workers also alleged that the Vice Chancellor has a penchant for abusing process for contract- award, which led to inflation of contract sum and misappropriation of fund.

“Professor Hussain by-passes the University Tender’s Board, uses his own illegal Vice-Chancellor’s committee and get executive approval of the Chairman, Governing Council without recourse to the University Finance and General Purpose Committee. This way, Prof Hussain has been able to inflate contract values and commit other atrocities”, the group said.
Even the LASU students also have their own compilation of Hussain’s transgressions. When the embattled VC stepped into the gallery of the Lagos State House of Assembly on the day of the public hearing, he was greeted by shouts of mockery and reproach from students.
Speaking at the hearing, Prof Hussain maintained that his reform measures in the institution didn’t go down well with some people who were apparently benefiting from the rot.

Though battalions of opposing forces line against the Vice-Chancellor, he has continued to enjoy the goodwill of some workers who applaud his reform programmes that have laundered the sully image of the school. One of the workers, who spoke with Daily Sun, but wouldn’t want his name published, noted that the Vice-Chancellor waged a successful war against cultism, examination malpractice and other nefarious acts that dragged LASU’s name in the mud.
“With Hussain, it is no longer business as usual, especially at the satellite campuses. Many of them are angry”, he said.
One of the female students of the school who gave her name as Folake, praised the VC for his courage in tackling the perennial problems of the school.
According to her, “The man is not as bad as they paint him. They don’t want him to continue. But for me, he has done well as the Vice Chancellor”.

Like a lone voice in a crowd of opposition, the likes of Folake hold their tongues in their cheek as other workers have continued to prophesy an imminent fall of Hussain’s empire. Some of the workers who spoke with our reporter rejoiced that the recent vacancies declared for the positions of the registrar, bursar and the university librarian have raised their hope of victory. They reasoned that changing the leadership of the key positions, which were earlier held by staff loyal to Prof Hussain, would inevitably usher in a wind of change in leadership.

The Governing Council of the university has not rested in its effort to bring a peaceful end to the conflict. Recently, it held up an olive branch to all student activists, especially those whose names are in the black book for leading the protest against the VC.
To calm the troubled sea, the council, chaired by the University Chancellor, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, met to address the students’ grievances.

“In the spirit of amicable resolution of all conflicts, council agreed to a general amnesty to all students, who have been involved in the past and present crises in the university. Council assures students that on no account will any student be victimized on the account of the role played in the current crisis on the various campuses of the university”.
The council also called for the release of students’ union dues for 2005/2006 academic session and balances of dues of subsequent sessions warehoused by the university management.

The Governing Council acceded to the union’s demand for the payment of fees by full-time students in two instalments of N15,000 and N10,000 during the first and second semesters respectively.
The landmark in their resolution was the setting up of the Students Advisory Committee to replace the Students Welfare Committee. In order to strengthen the committee, the council directed that the body should be headed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university.
Speaking on the charm deposited at the Admin block, Pastor Anayo Odimkpa of Trumpet Sound Deliverance Ministry, decried the use of diabolical means to achieve selfish ends. He warned that the sanctity of the academic institution has been desecrated and called on the management to conduct purification prayers before resuming academic activities.

“It is quite unfortunate that people’s inordinate ambitions drive them to the height of insanity. In this modern age, people in the university who are supposed to be excellent models are resorting to fetish charms to change leadership. May God save us from evil”, he said.
On his part, the Supervisor, Post Primary School Management Board, Obollo-Afor, Enugu State, Rev. Fr. Paulinus Ike Ogara, said that it was laughable for educated people to condescend to the level of using voodoo powers in an age marked by stupendous breakthrough in technology.

“When university staff relapse into fetishism as a means of settling scores, then wisdom has fled to brutish beasts. What do these people want to teach the students? The learning environment has been polluted. Knowledge is a gift of the Holy Spirit. How would it come in such an ungodly environment? The perpetrators of these evils should repent and join hands to save the institution from further troubles”, he added.
As the tussle for power rages on, thousands of LASU students are left to lick their wounds at home. Worst affected are the final year students who are trapped in the cross fire of this unending crisis.