The Lagos State University (LASU) management has reacted to dissent to its decision to charge graduating students extra fees ahead of their convocation coming up next month.
It was reacting to the allegation of a group called the Coalition of LASU Graduating Students which described the sum as an “Unjust Increment of LASU Graduating Fee Charges’’ .
A statement signed by the university’s spokesperson, Ademola Adekoya indicated that the explanation became necessary even though the group is not known.
“It is pertinent to state that Lagos State University Students’ Handbook recognizes only two bodies- the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) and the Lagos State University Alumni Association – hence this group allegedly acting on behalf of (graduating) students of the University is unknown to us,” Mr Adekoya said in the statement made available to EduCeleb.com.
“However, as a responsible and responsive institution, we owe it a duty to our students, Alumni and the General Public to set the records straight.”
In the said release, the group berated the University Governing Council for approving the report of the Committee on the Review of Service Charges even though the Committee did not have a students’ representative on it.
They further claimed that the University generates so much funds from the monthly subventions and Internally Generated Revenue that it amounted to greed for it to increase its charges and went on to accuse the University Management as being unaccountable.
On this misinformation being spread, Lagos State University Management, posit as follows, that:
1 . The review of fees/charges of the University is at the complete discretion of the University Governing Council without recourse to any individual or group. The Council has the responsibility to review rates being charged by the University in view of economic realities. The complaint about the non-inclusion of a student representative on the Committee that reviewed the increment, therefore is unfounded.
2 . The Council in performing its responsibility meticulously reviewed the former charges on some of the services of the University viz-a-viz what is obtainable at other sister universities in the country. The comparative review established that LASU’s charges were paltry, compared to those of others, which justifies the increment. Even at that, the new charges are some of the lowest among Universities in the country.
3 . On the monthly subventions, the University appreciates the Lagos State Government for ensuring that inspite of its limited resources, the University has continued to receive its monthly subventions without fail. The ‘increment’ they referred to however is a nominal one, which the University is confident of financially benefitting in due course.
However, the constantly increasing wage bill compels that the University augments the payment of salaries with over Seventy Million Naira (N70m) monthly, of its IGR.
4 . It is consequent upon the foregoing that the Council, as matter of expediency, reviewed the charges by the University on some of the services as a sustainable way of increasing the IGR in order to keep the wheel of administration running smoothly for effective service delivery.
5 . It will therefore amount to mischief, to go up in arms against the very reasonable increase in an Institution where the tuition fees (N25,000) is the lowest among public universities in the country; where the charges on its services are among the lowest in Universities in the country and where inspite of these, service delivery has consistently been top-notch.
On a final note, the University Management appreciates the understanding exhibited by our stakeholder on the matter of the increment, even as it is, in its all-inclusive governance approach, open to providing further details on its financial position to all relevant stakeholders, while assuring that the School Fees of the university (N25,000) remains unchanged across board.
