By Olasunkanmi Akoni and Monsur Olowoopejo

Lagos State Government Tuesday, affirmed that the indefinite closure of Lagos State University, LASU, following the crisis rocking the institution will continue until the unions, students and management agree to maintain peace henceforth.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Fatai Olukoga, who made the remarks at a news briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, warned that government would no longer tolerate indiscipline on the parts of the students, lecturers and other stakeholders in the institution.

However, Olukoga said it is wrong for the students and staff to demand for the sack of Vice Chancellor of LASU, since his appointment was based on merit and due process.

He explained: “LASU was established by law, which gave the management, the governing council board to run the university. When there is a problem that they cannot resolve, that is when it is brought to the Governor for him to intervene. So let’s get that clear. we don’t just dabble into LASU crisis because we have a statutory Governing Council who are competent and capable to handle matters of the University.

“The crisis in LASU is that, you cannot dictate to your employer to sack anybody. When they came that they don’t want the Vice Chancellor, we said, look, it is wrong for you to say that we should send the VC packing. That if you want to do convocation or anything in LASU, you must appoint an Acting VC.

“Imagine if you run a company by yourself and somebody you employed, wakes up one day and says you should sack the MD, or somebody who the CEO employed and the person rose from the rank and he got there because he’s a unionist and then he got there and he says sack the CEO. I think we have to have a rethink.

“The problem of LASU is just overbearance of our unions both the lecturers, the management and the students.

“ So the delay in opening the school is the fault of LASU Union and Students Union, unless they go back and have a sense of reasoning before the school will be reopened.”

The Special Adviser also said 19 Lecturers in LASU were found to have questionable Doctorate degrees noting 17 of them have been cleared before a panel except the Chairman LASU-Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Chapter “who decided to go to court.”

He also blamed the delay in the reimbursement of hike in school fees of LASU students on inconsistency on the part of the management of the institution.