The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University of Education Chapter has decried the lopsided admission process and poor facilities in the institution.
By Uchenna Eletuo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University of Education Chapter has decried the lopsided admission process and poor facilities in the institution.
The chapter Chairman, Dr Akolade Lapite, said this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a news conference at its main campus at Ijanikin, Lagos State at the weekend.
The union brought to the fore some challenges allegedly militating against teaching and learning in the institution for the attention of relevant authorities.
Lapite said students’ admissions into faculties and departments were lopsided.
He noted that there had been concerns about an unequal or biased admission process in the school with some faculties or departments given preferential treatment.
The ASUU chairman said this had led to an unfair and inequitable admission system.
He said that to ensure fairness and transparency in the admission process, the authority should derive admissions through departments while the Central Admission Committee collated and standardised the procedure.
“Such will ensure a clear merit-based guideline for admissions that will be adhered to across departments,” Lapite said.
The union chairman listed lack of facilities including internet, utility vehicles and inadequate offices as other factors that continued to pose threat to teaching and learning in the school.
He described facilities in the institution as moribund, saying that the near non- existence of electricity supply in the place debased the community as an institution of higher learning.
Lapite said the dearth of facilities had hindered contemporary research that could proffer solutions to societal challenges.
“The university’s networking infrastructure is severely epileptic, making it difficult for both staff and students to access online resources and engage in essential academic activities.
“Poor internet connectivity not only hampers research, but also affects teaching and learning.
“To ensure the institution offers an education that meets contemporary standards and needs, staff and students have to be provided with the needed tools,” he said.
The chairman said that as the institution undergoes the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation, there was the need for the management to look into staff welfare.
He said this, with the view for upward review and harmonisation of wages and allowances of members of staff.
In her response to ASUU-LASUED, the LASUED Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okunneye, described the union’s position as trumped-up allegations.
“The complaints are all trumped-up allegations. These complaints have not been made to the university. In conflict management or crisis management, you would have at least complained about your condition.
“If you do not get any positive response, then you can go ahead to take decisions.
“The rate of development in that university is not their expectation. They expect that, normally, the way they do their things will go on business as usual.
“But this administration has taken it that we want to leave legacies. Without being immodest, I can count up to five buildings within the last four years that have started right in my presence and have been completed,” she said.
Lafiaji-Okunneye noted that the institution’s support centre had same with the school library for optimal usage.
According to her, there are some elements within that university who are aggrieved, who feel that they are not part of this administration. They want to be relevant. And that’s why they have this trumped-up allegations.
“On no water in the campus, ‘you should have said, excuse me, I want to use the toilet.’ We have just finished our accreditation, and you can ask people how the campus was before the accreditation.
“If all our accreditors from NUC can commend us. We have water and it is good. I will invite you to come to this campus. This scene is delirious. They are lying. And it’s so shameful.
“On network connectivity? They say it’s affecting their jobs that there is no network connectivity in the campus.
“Okay, there is no network connectivity, but in every department there is Wi-Fi. We bought Wi-Fi and it’s working. For every department and it’s working,” she said. (NAN)
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