Irate LASU students block Fashola’s office, Assembly’s entrance

Oct 27, 2011 – Irate LASU students block Fashola’s office, Assembly’s entrance

Angry students of the Lagos State University, LASU, Thursday, blocked the Lagos House, office of Governor Babatunde Fashola, in Ikeja and the House of Assembly complex in Alausa in protest against the hike in their tuition fee by the state government.

The state government had jerked up the tuition of the institution by about 700 per cent, as least fee to be paid by the students would be about N180,000 as against the N25,000 before the hike.

Meanwhile, the House, yesterday, set up a committee to look into the proposed increase in school fees payable by students of LASU by the state government.

The committee is to bring stakeholders together to decide on the amount that should be paid, acceptable to government, students and parents and it has two weeks to report back to the House.

The students in their hundreds, barricaded the entrance of the state House of Assembly and damaged several property, including the security posts within the Assembly. They also fell the gates leading into the Assembly premises, destroyed flower plants and few other items.

The House had, Tuesday, summoned the state Commissioner for Education, Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Education, Acting Vice Chancellor of LASU and the executives of Student Union of the school, over the proposed hike in school fee.

However, the situation changed, yesterday, as the students stormed the Assembly entrance. Shortly after the lawmakers began the business for the day, they invited those they summoned to explain the rationale behind the increase.

Other students, who came to witness the proceeding were, however, denied entrance by the security officers manning the three gates leading into the Assembly.

This did not go down well with the students as they went on the rampage and forced their way into the compound.