This is as the government promised to continue to negotiate with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in spite of Wednesday’s court ruling restraining the union from continuing with its seventh month strike.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja ordered the striking lecturers to return to the classroom following a suit filed by the federal government.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made federal government’s position known when he hosted visiting members of the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics.

“The court ruling does not preclude us from going on with further negotiation and consultations,’’ he said.

READ ALSO: ASUU strike: Students storm Lagos airport road, cause gridlock

ASUU began its strike to demand that the federal government revisits some agreements signed between them in 2009 and also to improve on varsity funding and payment of earned allowances.

The lecturers also want the federal government to shelve its Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, in paying lecturers’ salaries.

The federal government uses the IPPIS platform to pay its employees.

They demanded that rather than its IPPIS, government should adopt the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS, the payment platform designed by the universities themselves to pay lecturers.

The minister told his visitors that the Industrial Court’s ruling was in the best interest of Nigeria and its people.

According to him, the ruling is a win-win for government, for students, for lecturers and for all Nigerians.

“It is a no victor, no vanquished.

“You doctors in academics are for now members of ASUU, but you are here; even though you have dissociated yourselves and you are working.

“We want to thank you for working and teaching your students,’’ the minister said.

He noted that pro-chancellors of universities had met with President Muhammadu Buhari and made some demands that included topping up government’s offer and seeing whether there could be some bailout.

Ngige added that the president had assured that he would consult with stakeholders on the request.

The minister also commended the House of Representatives for intervening in the ASUU imbroglio.

Ngige said that he was happy that the Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, also assured that principal officers of the House would meet with President Buhari over the strike.

He explained that whatever money that would be approved to meet some of the demands would go into the 2023 budget.

“Since the House has showed interest now, it is good and wonderful. When they bring that proposal, the Executive will not have any problem.

“ASUU should also know that this is a step in the right direction. All these things have been promised them by the Minister of Education at their last meeting.

“For me, they should do the needful and go back to the classroom,’’ the minister said.

Source: NAN

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Fasina gave the advice on Wednesday in Oye-Ekiti, while speaking with newsmen at the third matriculation ceremony of the School of Postgraduate Studies of the institution.

A total of 190 post-graduate students took the matriculation oath at the Oye campus of the university.

ASUU president had threatened to call out his members across the nation, if all the issues, including those of unpaid academically earned allowances and the universities revitalisation fund were not addressed.

The vice-chancellor said strike was not the best for the Nigerian universities, adding that many foreign universities were experiencing free and smooth learning without any distraction.

Fasina said he believed that both the federal government and ASUU would settle their differences and find amicable solution to avert the strike.

“The best thing that can happen to this country’s education sector, especially tertiary institutions, is for both parties to ensure that the strike is averted in the interest of the students and education as a whole,” he said.

Fasina said that FUOYE was the first institution to have Post-graduate School out of the nine federal universities established in 2011.

He advised the postgraduate students, irrespective of their age, to be focussed and come out of the university with good grades in their respective course works.

The vice-chancellor also assured them that no lecturer or supervisor would delay their programme.

“To the matriculating students, I want to encourage them to be focussed.

“They should do their course works as and when due, and as well proceed to their fieldworks in good time, aim for excellence and I am sure that they will achieve it,” he said.

Source: NAN

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According to Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, Professor Olatunji-Bello was appointed following recommendation by the Joint Committee of Council and Senate of LASU in accordance with the LASU Law, Cap 169 Vol 7, Laws of Lagos State.

She assumed duty as the First Professor of Physiology in LASU College of Medicine on the 2nd of October 2007 after rising through the ranks from Assistant Lecturer (1988 to 1991) to Associate Professor in 2005 at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba.

In 2012, Mrs. Olatunji-Bello attended the Course 34 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, the highest policy advisory body of the Federal Government, as a nominee of the National Universities Commission.

A member of the National Institute (mni), Mrs. Olatunji-Bello holds a Fellowship Award of the Physiological Society of Nigeria and was also appointed a Fellow of the Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation in the year 2019.

Prof. Olatunji-Bello as well as two other candidates, Professor Omotayo R. Awofolu and Professor Senapon Bakare, were recommended for the position in order of ranking respectively.

The process of selecting a substantive Vice-Chancellor for LASU commenced with advertisements for the vacant position in three national dailies on Friday, July 30th and Friday 13th August, 2021 respectively.

The tenure of the 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, lapsed on January 11, 2021.

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The governor said he did not have personal interest in who became the next Vice Chancellor of LASU and therefore had no intention to influence the process.

He added that due process would be followed in the appointment.

Governor Sanwo-Olu made the statement while receiving members of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, CVCNU, led by its chairman, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Tuesday.

“The process for the appointment of the substantive Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU) is ongoing and I can assure you that all the laws and due process that would lead to the appointment of the vice chancellor would be fully adhered to.

“I have no intention to interfere or have any interest in the choice of who would be vice chancellor. We have put in the committee men and women of impeccable character that have distinguished themselves and are willing to do for us a good job,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who promised adequate and continuous funding for state-owned tertiary institutions in Lagos State, said plans were in top gear to establish two additional universities of technology and education in the state.

The governor also promised to assist the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities to get back the title documents of its property situated at Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island in Lagos, saying the property would be released to the committee at no cost.

He said Lagos State government would support the committee on its forthcoming 60th anniversary celebration holding next year.

Speaking earlier, Prof. Edoumiekumo commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for rising to the occasion when COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the state and for delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Lagos State in different sectors.

He said the ongoing metro rail system and the proposed 38 kilometres long Fourth Mainland bridge project, which according to him was one of the single most significant infrastructure projects undertaken by a state government in Nigeria, are testimonies of a thoroughly focused government.

The chairman of CVCNU said Governor Sanwo-Olu’s support as the Visitor to the Lagos State University was commendable and called for the Lagos State Government’s support for the forthcoming 60th anniversary of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.

“As Nigeria’s economic and social powerhouse, Lagos is arguably a mini-Nigeria and leader in its federation of states. Lagos sets the agenda and leads other states to emulate in economic development, innovation, good governance and education,” he said.

Prof. Edoumiekumo said the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities is desirous of working with key stakeholders to improve the Nigerian university system and therefore seek for mutually rewarded partnership with Lagos State government and the people in that regard.

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Again, Nigeria’s 72-year-old University of Ibadan was ranked among the top universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2021. This time around, the premier university advanced from its previous position of one of the top 600 to the 401-500 range. What this means is that UI is in the same league with  institutions like Aston University, Bournemouth  University, both in the UK, University of Connecticut, US, Durban University of Technology, South Africa, Georgia State University, University of Florida, Iowa State University-all in the US, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia and Tongii University China to mention just a few.  Not only that, UI ranks far higher than the University of Bradford, for instance, which many Nigerians patronise for university education.

Agreed, getting to the top 100 might still be a long journey for Nigeria’s premier university, no doubt, it has consistently climbed the ladder of progress. It was for example the only Nigerian university on the Times ranking table in 2016. Then it was listed among the 801 best varsities in the world.  Fast forward to 2020, it jumped to the 501-600 Table. Its former and immediate past vice chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, couldn’t hide his excitement, describing the feat then as the institution’s best showing since THE World University Rankings started in 2004.   Again, UI’s ranking this year has proved to be a great improvement on its 2020’s outing. For now, UI is Nigeria’s poster boy in terms of global competitiveness.

Really, UI has a lot to boast about. Aside being the nation’s oldest university, its Postgraduate College is the flagship of Postgraduate Education in Nigeria, producing an average of 3,500 Masters and 400 PhD degree holders every year. Besides, of all the Nigerian universities on the Times Higher Education ranking table, it is the only university with reasonable number of foreign students. Not only that, it currently hosts the Pan African University Life & Earth Sciences Institute (including Health and Agriculture) on behalf of the West African Sub-region.

Sadly, UI has been enmeshed in some sorts of self-inflicted crises since the tenure of its former VC ended on November 30 last year, thus stalling the process of appointing a substantive VC.

Sadly, UI has been enmeshed in some sorts of self-inflicted crises since the tenure of its former VC ended on November 30 last year, thus stalling the process of appointing a substantive VC.  Prof. Adebola Ekanola, who was the Deputy VC (Academics), has been VC in acting capacity since December 1 last year.  The university Governing Council had adjourned its sitting till February 8 to continue with the process of selecting a substantive VC but this meeting has been postponed indefinitely by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu. His decision was hinged on a plethora of petitions against the selection process.  Before then, the minister had suspended the process two times within four months.  It has since come to light that the real reasons behind the suspension of the selection process are the different agendas being pushed by different forces within and outside the university system. A former Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Isaac Adewole, who was once a health minister, is said to be among the forces at play. He is said to have a preferred candidate for the position and using his connection to Abuja to achieve his aim. There is also an attempt to foster a Muslim agenda. The arrowhead of this is said to be the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Rasheed Abubakar, who incidentally was once a VC.  The immediate past VC of the university also has a preferred candidate but draws his own strength from the university community. Similarly, members of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) are alleging marginalisation of Ibadan indigenes and believe the minister is working against the emergence of an Ibadan indigene as a VC. In fact, the report out there suggests that the process is being deliberately delayed by the minister of education till after the end of the tenure of the current Pro- Chancellor and council chairman, Mr Joshua Waklek, and some council members on May 9.  According to another  report, the minister is trying to bid time for the tenure of some of the university representatives to lapse before dissolving the council in May.  This is plausible. Already, the tenure of one of the members representing the university community has expired. The tenure elapsed on Friday March 12, 2021 and it is unlikely the slot will be filled before the dissolution of the university council.   The game plan according to multiple sources is to bring in six new representatives of the government to the council with a mandate to vote for a particular candidate and keep the depleted number of the university community as it is in order to achieve a pre-planned aim.

All these game plans are aberrations that call for serious concern especially now that many look up to UI to salvage the image of Nigeria’s battered higher education.  In developed democracies, processes for selecting university leaders have long been settled and become entrenched. Unfortunately, here, political, religious and all kinds of considerations are rated above competence. Yet neither religion nor ethnic background is listed as qualifications for selecting a VC for UI.  In fact in advertising for this position, the  criteria listed by the university council are: a scholar of the rank of Professor, with a minimum of ten years experience;  a  demonstration of the  ability to provide academic and administrative leadership; a person of proven integrity who  must not  be  more than 65 years old as at the date of possible assumption of duty on 01 December, 2020;  someone that will command the respect of the national and international academic communities;  strengthen the bridges between staff, students and other members of the University community;  a person with a clear vision for the development of the University;  that enjoys excellent physical and mental health; and  attract the much-needed funds into the University.

As a matter of fact, government has no business being involved in the selection process of VCs in Nigerian federal universities going by law. Selection should be the responsibility of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board consisting of – (a) the Pro-Chancellor, as chairman; (b) two members of the Council, not being members of Senate; (c) two members of the Senate who are Professors, but who were not members of the Search Team. These are expected to short-list and recommend to the Council three candidates for further consideration. The Council then selects and appoints one candidate from among the three recommended and informs the Visitor, who is the President. These are the provisions of   the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No. 11, 1993 as amended by The Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions)(Amendment) Act No. 55 of 1993; The Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions)(Amendment) Act No. 25 of 1996; The Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions)(Amendment) Act 2003, otherwise called The Universities Autonomy Act No. 1, 2007 and The Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2012.  In other words, the process for the appointment of a vice chancellor in Nigerian public universities should be the statutory responsibility of the Governing Council of each university. Once appointment is made, it should be legally binding and effective without any input from the President. The law only requires the Council to inform the President of the appointment. The President is not even empowered to approve or disapprove. The law does not even make any reference to the Minister of Education at all in the selection process. The law is very clear but like many other things in Nigeria, our leaders choose what to obey and disobey.

The education minister has a responsibility to stop the politicisation of the UI VC selection process to prove his innocence.

As it is, the education minister needs to prove to the world that he is neither harbouring any special interest nor working for anybody in this whole exercise. Claiming to halt a process because of petitions and suspending council meeting indefinitely because the process is compromised does not add up at all.  This is not the first time that people are writing petitions during VC selection processes. The same thing happened in 2010 in UI.  When a new VC designate emerged, there were all manners of petitions, but the then Chairman of Council, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) dealt with the issues appropriately. Some ‘Concerned Professors,’ even called for the annulment of the entire process a day before the new VC was to resume office. The same thing happened during the appointment of the immediate past VC in 2015.  Some people went to court to stop him from assuming office but he did eventually.  Petitions shouldn’t be basis for suspending a process.  We should be more concerned about adherence to due process. An indefinite suspension of the council sitting gives the impression that the education minister is a major player in this ongoing brouhaha. That is why the Governing Council should be allowed to do its job. There will always be losers and winners in every game of life.  The most important thing is allowing the right person to fill the position. All these surreptitious moves by people that think they have influence in government should be curbed.

It will be sad if politicians are allowed to destroy the only heritage that we are holding on to in terms of higher education especially in Nigeria’s public institutions. On one hand, we talk of autonomy in our universities and on another; we allow the processes to be unduly hijacked by politicians. The education minister has a responsibility to stop the politicisation of the UI VC selection process to prove his innocence. People will continue to write petitions once they know they can have their way through them.

*Olabisi Deji-Folutile is the Editor-in-Chief, Franktalknow.com and member, Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email: bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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A competent source at the anti-graft agency disclosed on Monday that the Vice-Chancellor was still being held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja as at the time of filling this report.

The source said that the accused, sometime in 2018 fraudulently obtained the sum of N260 million from a contractor, Alhaji Shehu Sambo, owner of Ministaco Nigeria Limited to facilitate a contract.

The source further stated that Garba collected the said amount on the pretext that the university was going to award his company a contract worth N3 billion for the construction of perimeter wall fence around the institution.

The source said the contract did not materialise and the money was not returned.

“He was detained by the agency on Thursday January 28 after he honoured an invitation in relation to his involvement in a case of abuse of office, corrupt practices and contract scam.

“The VC is still being grilled by investigators of the EFCC, who are interested in knowing what happened to the money, ” the source said.

When contacted on the development, spokesman of the EFCC,  Mr Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest but declined further comments.

Source: NAN

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This is the moment of truth for both Nigeria and managers of its public-funded institutions.  Right now, the country is between the devil and the deep blue sea on this issue of school reopening.  COVID-19 is on the rampage again and this second wave is proving to be more fatal. Yet, amidst this deadly scourge is the pressure on vice chancellors to reopen their institutions for learning again. This is understandable as public universities have been shut for almost a year now. Students have become restless. Many of them are tired of staying at home and are eager to return to school.  Some of them have even gone to the ridiculous extent of threatening to attack any vice chancellor that refuses to open the doors of their institutions for learning.

Education is important and learning cannot wait.  That is why the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that universities should be accorded preferential treatment under COVID-19 in terms of operations.

The Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, Professor Prof Lilian Salami, confirmed this on Wednesday when she featured on NTA Good Morning Nigeria breakfast show monitored by Franktalknow. The VC had said, “I have heard some students say, look, if you don’t open, we will beat up the vice-chancellors and start beating up the lecturers. Maybe other vice-chancellors can take up the beatings but I can assure you that Professor Salami is too fragile to be beaten.”

To further confirm their desperation to return to class, the students through their National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have vowed to ensure that COVID-19 guidelines and protocols are maintained in all the schools in the country to counter fears that resumption might spike up cases of the pandemic. Never mind that this vow of theirs is nothing but mere grandstanding. I mean what can these students do in the area of overcrowded lecture halls and hostels for example? Would they command into existence lecture theatres, hostels, or water in institutions that still rely on streams?  What about the poor student-teacher ratio? Do they have the resources to employ lecturers to reduce the alarming situation in our public universities? How many bottles of disinfectants can they procure for universities across the country?

I quite understand that the students said some of these things to show their level of desperation especially when   their lecturers have repeatedly said it is not yet safe to reopen the universities. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, which just called off its nine-month strike, has said the FG is yet to put in place safety guidelines in its universities and  that public universities do not have the facilities to protect its members from contracting the deadly virus.

Really, the Federal Government can’t deny this. Government is aware of the dangers of allowing in-person learning in its poorly maintained institutions, but at the same time can’t possibly keep them shut indefinitely. So cleverly, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 says it has left the decision as to whether to open schools or postpone reopening to the Education ministry.  Similarly, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who had hinted on Monday that government would review the January 18 date earlier fixed for resumption of schools across the country, has yet to come up with any specific date. Meanwhile, the same government that cannot provide ordinary water in its institutions will be the first to sanction private businesses for not doing same. Our hypocritical leaders are eager to penalise the private sector for violating COVID-19 protocols but reluctant to do the needful in public-funded institutions.  I guess they sanction others because it is the easiest thing to do and the cheapest way of pretending to be in charge.

It is common knowledge that the more a person interacts with others, and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread.  So, university lecturers are right in expressing reservations on reopening of our public institutions knowing how overcrowded they can be.  Even universities in countries with sophisticated and better amenities recorded greater number of COVID-19 cases when they opened their doors to students for in-person learning in 2020.  For example, a study by the US government reveals that counties with colleges and universities offering in-person instruction experienced a 56% increase in incidence. What we can glean from this study is that our universities may become super spreaders if opened for in-person learning, going by their level of infrastructural decay.

Education is important and learning cannot wait.  That is why the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that universities should be accorded preferential treatment under COVID-19 in terms of operations. To protect everyone, it came up with a guideline that spelled factors that constitute different levels of risks. The centre then recommended Hybrid learning model whereby students participate in virtual learning, and in-person learning is limited to courses and laboratory instruction that cannot be delivered remotely.

Students, faculty, and staff are expected to participate in small, in-person classes, activities, and events that allow individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart. Students are told to avoid out-of-class social gatherings and events.   Students, faculty, and staff are not expected to share objects (e.g., laboratory, art, or recreational equipment and supplies). It also recommends staggered schedules in residence halls, dining areas, and recreational areas on campus, small groups of students and minimal contacts with others. This is in addition to regular scheduled cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched areas as they occur.

A way out of this is for our public institutions to adopt the well tested hybrid system that inculcates online and in-person learning. Gladly, COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to identify the forward-looking ones among our university managers.

Which government-funded university in Nigeria can do all of these? Except we want to deceive ourselves, we  all know that the average Nigerian public funded universities are far from what a university environment should be. How many of them have regular supply of water; how many of them have lecture rooms that can provide the social distancing space of at least six feet apart,  hand hygiene and disinfectants required for the control of COVID-19?  How many of them have toilet facilities not to now talk of constant cleaning. How many of them have enough seats for students? How many of them are operating within their carrying capacities?    A friend recently told me that he teaches a class of over 200 students.  And he does that without a public address system! What infrastructures do we have in our public institutions that can help in curbing the spread of this virus?  We have talked about the problem of poor funding of our public institutions times without number. It is obvious government does not have enough resources to run them well and it is reluctant to review its funding formula.

Where do we go from here?  Should we then say that students should remain at home and wait till our government put the right things in place before they go back to school? Or should we wait for COVID-19 to disappear before our federal universities can resume learning? We don’t even know when this COVID is planning to leave the planet earth. Scientists are only trying their best to keep the virus at bay and people across the world are seeking ways to move on with their lives in spite of it. In fact, if we are going to wait for things to be put right in our universities before  students go back to school, we may have to wait for another 20 years! By then, our public university system would have probably gone into extinction!  So, ASUU should realise that as genuine as its concerns may be, we cannot wait for things to be put right before our universities reopen.

A way out of this is for our public institutions to adopt the well tested hybrid system that inculcates online and in-person learning. Gladly, COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to identify the forward-looking ones among our university managers. The ones in this category have told us that they are either going fully remote or adopting a hybrid system.  That is the way to go. The ones that are behind the times among them are still bent on running full in-person lectures. But they need to be reminded that this is a risk.  For me, any vice-chancellor that has nothing more to offer than full in-person learning at this stage is not innovative enough.  ASUU strike provided more than enough opportunity for any university manager to set up an IT centre that could support remote learning. No excuse, no matter how logical it sounds, should be tenable for not doing that.   Anyone who still thinks learning method will remain what it was pre-COVID-19 must be living in a fool’s paradise.

*Deji-Folutile is the Editor-in-Chief, Franktalknow.com and member, Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email: bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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The governor further directed that a fresh process that would terminate in forty five days should commence immediately.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s decision on the cancellation came after a thorough investigation and stakeholders engagement, which were necessitated by various petitions against the selection process.

“Governor Sanwo-Olu was inundated with petitions arising from the selection process of the Vice Chancellor by the Governing Council. After a thorough evaluation and investigation of the various complaints, Mr. Governor, in his capacity as the Visitor to the University ordered the cancellation of the process,” he stated.

The outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, has also been directed by Governor Sanwo-Olu to convene an emergency Senate meeting for the purpose of appointing one of the Deputy Vice Chancellors, who is not a candidate in the cancelled selection process as Acting Vice Chancellor from Monday January 11, 2021 when the tenure of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Professor Fagbohun expires.

The governor further directed that the Senate should select among its members, a protem chairman to superintend the meeting and conduct of election of Acting Vice Chancellor.

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He was 71 years old.

He died on Sunday in an undisclosed hospital.

The death of the former UNILAG vice chancellor was announced in a statement issued by the Registrar and Secretary of the First Technical University, Ibadan, Oyo state capital, Olayinka Balogun.

Ibidapo-Obe was until his death the chairman and pro-chancellor of First Technical University.

The statement reads in part: “With heavy heart, and submission to the will of God I write to inform Council members of the transition to glory of Professor Oye Ibidapo-Obe, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, First Technical University, Ibadan which occurred today 03/01/2021.”

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How can you convince anyone you treasure what you cannot showcase? It’s practically impossible to showcase LASU to potential or new admirers. The physical address of LASU is incontrovertibly best signposted by Badagry Expressway. What manner of a signpost, even with its supposed international status?

Not a few of the university staff have been dispossessed of their cars and other forms of transportation means after years of intractable degeneracy that has also contributed to failing health of many. Only last year we lost the most senior plumber for the university, Mr. Idowu, due to the bad road which undermined quick access to health facility when he needed to be rushed to one. Indeed one death that took many LASUITES a long time to overcome was that of the son of one of our selfless colleagues. The deceased was a dashing young lawyer with a most inspiring profile.  He was returning home after the day’s hustle. With the road being almost impassable that day for vehicles, our promising boy was compelled to take a ride on “okada”. It turned out to be his last. The bike rider suddenly lost grip of the machine amidst the confusion of other rough riders including trucks… No effort was spared to revive our dear son but we were not anywhere near doing enough. We lost him.

Before our brother’s untimely demise, LASU appeared to have resigned to the fate wrought on it by the bad road.  I don’t know of any LASU stakeholder who can recall the last time the main gate of Lagos State’s only university by Badagry Expressway was opened the normal way. One side of it had for long been consigned to disuse for years.

There’s an urgent need not only to preserve the glory of the present but to save the future.  Will Sanwo-Olu save LASU? Will he find supporters in the relevant local government authorities?

The hope of a new lease of life for the university was anxiously anticipated as VC Fagbohun was about to assume his office. We got flickers of assurance as the Ambode-led government promptly supported the new VC in his burning desire to rev up development in LASU. The International Bar Association-renowned environmental law expert seemed to have prioritized the environment. Promptly, the state government embarked on the paving of the intra-campus roads. All the roads were paved. The newly paved roads duly enhanced the greening of the environment. Thus followed all related physical developments especially routine cleaning including unprecedented horticultural practice. Ambode reasonably built on the initiatives of Governor Fashola. For the duration of the Fagbohun tenure therefore, LASU got unprecedented physical development. The height of it all manifested in Fagbohun finishing strong. Fagbohun upped the stake forever. He led LASU to the seemingly unattainable height of the nation’s second best university.  But even the joy Fagbohun ushered in, to echo Ola Rotimi, seems to have a slender body.  There’s an urgent need not only to preserve the glory of the present but to save the future.  Will Sanwo-Olu save LASU? Will he find supporters in the relevant local government authorities?  There are no clear signals, unfortunately.  This is the gap the new VC has to fill immediately.

I believe LASU can midwife solutionist cooperation taking advantage of the current endearing Olympian height.  It will be too soon to lower our guard after the second best excellence attainment.  Welcome, new VC.

In despair, a colleague in LASU couldn’t hold back her hopelessness. She spoke out on Facebook wondering if traffic related laws promulgated by the Sanwo-Olu government were applicable in Alimosho and the adjoining areas. Simply put: the only road to LASU is a dead end.  It looks so hopeless. You begin to wonder if shortly after LASU’s recent attainment of national leader, its fate will act out the submission of poet Kalu Uka,  that “the happiest moment is the saddest encounter”.

The access road from Egbeda through the increasingly impossible Igando both in Alimosho Local Government presents unmistakable, killer spectacle, hard to come by in no other southwest state of Nigeria. Sure! The traffic wardens on roads leading to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife are always at alert. Their counterparts for University of Ibadan are never found wanting always freeing the roads for traffic in spite of the proximity of the historic Bodija Market.

In case you’re tempted to dismiss the incomparability of OAU and UI with LASU on the basis of vehicular traffic, be it known too that the stated road to LASU is the only one left after the Badagry expressway has been abandoned by everyone. The situation has since become worse now that Seme Border has been reopened.  All vehicles destined for the city and beyond from the border now travel via Igando.

Between Egbeda and Igando, there is no known formally established market to warrant impenetrable road. Let’s traverse that route together here: Coming from Iyana-Ipaja to Egbeda, there’s a layby for commercial buses to make for free flow of traffic. They don’t use it and it seemed to have become an agreed normal between law enforcers and commercial motorists. More threateningly, you are on your way to LASU from the nation’s premier and largest international airport via Dopemu to the same Egbeda on your way to LASU, right at Egbeda, commercial motorists routinely throw caution to the wind. They make u-turn from the two sides of the dual carriage road by GTBank making mess of that junction. Yet, less than 50 metres away by Ilaka Junction, they turn the road into some garage leaving other road users, pedestrians and cyclists, at their hard to come by mercy.  As you survive Egbeda and head on to Idimu, the bus drivers constantly disrupt your free drive as they disregard the provided layby points to pick passengers arbitrarily.  You can’t avoid sudden intermittent stops, which cause accidents often.  The most annoying point perhaps is the Idimu Junction right in front of an LCDA secretariat.  Bus drivers converge right at the gate of the secretariat to pick passengers even as a properly constructed layby is only one-minute drive beyond it. You wonder, what the CDA officials benefit from this anomie.  The apogee of the traffic congestion these days is at Igando, where, ironically, there is a distinctly visible bus terminus. Bus drivers shy away from the terminus and instead constrict the road to the barest minimum leaving long stretch of traffic on the road, all day. So, you can’t have any such ambition of hurrying to LASU or returning either. The roads have been mended by the Sanwo-Olu administration in its short period of inception but the gains are being thwarted.  Going to and returning from LASU is hellish, I can confirm.  But LASU’s patronage is yet to be optimized going by Gov Sanwo-Olu’s projection of the collaboration with Cornell University in the United States. The governor volunteered this dream already. Are the local government bosses in the concerned neighbourhood ready to support the Governor’s ambition? To what extent?  I believe LASU can midwife solutionist cooperation taking advantage of the current endearing Olympian height.  It will be too soon to lower our guard after the second best excellence attainment.  Welcome, new VC.

*Tunde Akanni, PhD, media scholar and development consultant is based at LASU School of Communication. Follow him on Twitter via:@AkintundeAkanni.

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