The students who chanted anti-government slogans, armed themselves with placards laden with messages such as “Education is a right not a privilege,” “Adequate funding of education is non-negotiable” and “Reverse the fees now,” among others.
Speaking during the protest, National Co-ordinator of Education Right Campaign, Mr Hassan Soweto, lamented the harrowing experience of indigent students, stressing that the exorbitant tuition fee remains the cause of the crisis in LASU.
“I want to tell you that the hike in school fees since 2011 is the cause of the recurrent crises in LASU. The fee is one of the most expensive one in the entire country. We think the house has acted in error. It is unfair to put all the blames on students. This is against the claims by the party that calls itself the progressive; it is undemocratic,” Soweto said.
Also speaking, the Secretary General of Joint Action Front (JAF), Abiodun Aremu noted that it is quite unfortunate that the Lagos State government is aggravating the problem instead of finding ways to resolve the issue. “Universities cannot be run by dictators so that the right of students would not be jeopardized,” he said.
In his response, Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo said it is unfair for the aggrieved students to lay claim that the house is one sided in the way it had handled the case. According to him members passed resolution for the re-opening of the portal to allow students who were yet to register to do so.
