Lagos Announces 34% – 60% Reduction In LASU Fees

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday announced the reduction of tuition fees of the Lagos State University (LASU) by between 34 per cent and 60 per cent. Mr Fatai Olukoga, Special Adviser to Gov. Babatunde Fashola on Education, announced the reduction at a news conference in Ikeja. He said the reduction, which cut across the different faculties and courses, was recommended by an Ad hoc committee set up to review the hiked fees and approved by the State Executive Council. The Special Adviser said that the Governing Council of the University would issue details of what the reduction translated into and the fees payable by students in each department. He said:“Government has approved the reduction by between 34 per cent to 60 per cent. “In accordance with the law setting up the university, the government has forwarded its approval to the university `s Governing Council for consideration and implementation and implementation. “Pursuant to its statutory mandate, the university Governing Council will issue details of what is now payable by students in each department and deal with all management matters of the university.“ Olukoga said the reduction of the fees would not preclude the giving of bursaries and scholarship to indigent students of the institution by the state government. The special adviser said that the research fund sponsored by the state government would also be maintained to foster a culture of research and innovation in the university. ‘’Also, government will continue its increased spending on infrastructure and physical development of the university to reposition it,“ he said. Olukoga said the government hoped the lecturers in the university would welcome the reduction of the fees and call off their strike. The special adviser also expressed the hope that the students of the university would immediately suspend all agitation and resume normal school activities. He said the government was passionate about repositioning LASU and would spare no efforts in transforming the institution to a citadel of excellence. Meanwhile, the President of the institution`s Student Union Government, Nurudeen Yusuf, has described the reduction as unacceptable and a huge joke. He told newsmen that the students were disappointed with the reduction as it was obscure and did not state specifically what each student would pay. “When the fee was hiked, it was not by percentage, it was specific; now that they claim they are reducing it, they are talking percentage. This is unacceptable and a huge joke,“ he said. NAN reports that the government in 2011 hiked the tuition fees from N25,000 to between N195,000 and N350,000. The students had since staged various protests to challenge the hike, describing it as outrageous. The governor had met with leaders of the students, who proposed the reduction of the fees to N46,500 for returning students and N65,500 for fresh ones. The students had staged two protests at the Governor`s Office, Alausa, after the meeting ,demanding the implementation of their proposal.(NAN)