Crisis Looms As LASU Goes Tough On Fees... Says No More Reduction

Another round of protests and negotiations may be around the corner as the authorities of the Lagos State University (LASU) has announced that the Lagos State Government (LASG) would not further reduce the institution’s tuition fees.

The Public Relations Officer of LASU, reduction, is the final review.

“As long as the school fee issue is concern, it has been resolved and that is the final decision from the government," he said.

Sutton re echoed the allowance of two 70-30 instalmental payment of the fees, adding the the government would also support the students with bursaries.

“The new fee is quite reasonable as government also pay bursary to students to subsidise their payment,” he said.

He however added that the registration portal would remain open, despite the students' defiance of a July 6 deadline.

Sutton had in June announced a new tuition regime following students protest that culminated in a June 2 shutdown of the institution.

"...the Governing Council of the University has approved new school fees which now ranges between N76,250.00 for a final year student in the Arts Department (49.3% reduction), and N158, 250.00 for a 200 level Engineering and Medical (Direct entry) student," Sutton had said in the June 20 announcement.

With this decision, there are fears that LASU might be heading for another deadlock, with students insisting that they would not pay their fees until a further review is effected.

The President of the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) Nurudeen Yusuf, has in a late June NAN interview stated that only a fee of N46,500 for returning students and no more than N65, 500 for newly admitted students would be acceptable.

In another twist, the students came up with even lower fees of N20,000 as tuition fee, N10,000 as acceptance fees and N500 as caution fee, for all the faculties.

Interestingly, the LASU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is also advocating a further reduction to N50,000 for all students.

But the Dean of Students Affairs of the institution, Kabir Akinyemi, urged the students to "pay the new fee as directed and can systematically lobby for further reduction, if they so desire."