ASUU LASU Seeks Amendment of Law on VC Appointment

Funmi Ogundare The Lagos State University (LASU) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has appealed to the institution’s governing council to urgently put in place machineries for the amendment of LASU Law to reflect the single five-year tenure for vicechancellors as contained in the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement and practiced in the country’s universities.

The Chairman of the union, Adekunle Idris, who made this known recently during its congress and lecture held in honour of the institution’s late Chancellor, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, made reference to a letter dated July 4, 2011, written to the governing council and jointly signed by the then Chairman and Secretary of the union, Dr. Jamiu Oluwatoki and Abayomi Jimoh, saying that the next vice-chancellor of LASU would be appointed in line with the law passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly.

“According to the letter, it is our belief that every stake- holder in LASU has learnt a lesson or two from the recent crisis in the university, which culminated in this process to appoint a vice-chancellor for the institution. The union does not in any way want a reoccurrence of such crisis in LASU again.

“It might interest you to know that congress at the aforementioned meeting resolved that if the appointment of the vice-chancellor is concluded without amending the law, the vice-chancellor so appointed would have come out of a futile effort and will be considered a persona-non-grata’ in LASU and whoever emerges as the vice-chancellor based on the two-term condition will not be allowed to spend two terms in LASU.”

Idris stressed the need for the visitor to start the process of appointing another vice-chancellor, saying that he must understand what it takes to handle issues relating to union matters and should be trained in human right laws that govern unionism.

Paying tribute to the late chancellor, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Abolade Adeniji, recalled how he knew him when he used to be a good table tennis player at Mobolaji Sports Centre in Lagos, and how Okoya-Thomas had helped his daughter gain admission into Queens College.

He described the chancellor as a formidable fellow saying, “the power to influence, Okoya-Thomas had it in abundance. The recognition he exudes makes his personality envious. You can get your relevance through sheer integrity. If people see one or two good things in you and they believe in you, they will stand for you. He knew how to capture attention, such that you will know you are dealing with a formidable force.”

Adeniji described the late chancellor as a balancer who had intervened at various times to ensure that there is peace in the institution.

“We have lost a balancer who could possibly intervene in the crisis in LASU. He enjoyed his work. The only thing we can do is to keep LASU running because the institution for most people is an identity. We can’t allow for disruption, we have to put our house in order.”