Prof. John Obafunwa , the Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), on Monday solicited the support of the students of the institution to re-brand the 30-year-old university.

Obafunwa made the appeal at the inauguration of the newly-elected executive of the Lagos State University Students Union (LASUSU), led by its newly-elected President, Mr Sulaimon Adeyemi.

He urged the students not to destroy the institution, as it belonged to them.
The don assured the new LASUSU chief of the preparedness of the institution’s authorities to work with him, to ensure the realisation of his goals.

“LASU is not a bad product; academic stability will attract investors as collaborators to rebrand it, and to rank it among the best universities in the world,” he said.
Obafunwa said academic stability would be the hallmark of his administration.

He recalled that in 2013, graduates completed their programmes and were mobilised for the yearly National Youth Service Corps scheme.
The vice-chancellor urged the newly-elected students’ executive to embrace dialogue in resolving issues, rather than confrontation.

“LASU cannot afford any disruption of academic activities,” he said.

Obafunwa said that in the last three years, LASU had witnessed giant strides in the construction of several academic facilities by the Lagos State Government.
Prof. Kabir Akinyemi, the Dean, Students Affairs, LASU, said one of the major achievements of the present administration was the conduct of a hitch-free election, using the electronic voting system.

Akinyemi recalled that a similar method was used to produce the immediate-past President, Nurudeen Yusuf- led executive.
The university teacher urged the new LASUSU executive members to join hands with the university authorities, to lift the institution to a greater height, and to also portray LASU in good light.

Adeyemi assured the students that he would adhere to his campaign manifesto, by running an inclusive government that would accommodate the ideas and opinions of others.

He said he would be guided by four cardinal objectives: rebranding of LASU, a violence-free administration, implementation of the manifestos and ensuring a stable academic calendar.

Adeyemi pledged a cordial relationship with the university authorities, in resolving issues.
He, however, urged the authorities to avoid any anti-students policies that would make the students rise against them.