LASU Workers Celebrates VC's Exit

   For several hours on Monday, academic and administrative activities in the Lagos State University (LASU) were paralysed as staffers celebrated the exit of the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Obafunwa. 

The staff and their leaders, who wore Ankara as uniform, defied the heavy downpour to celebrate the exit of the unpopular Vice Chancellor. They sang and danced round the campus for hours. The tenure of Professor Obafunwa, the 7th VC of the 32-year-old LASU, expired on Saturday, October 31 and the Professor Adebayo Ninalowo-led Governing Council is expected to meet this Thursday to appoint an acting Vice Chancellor to run the affairs of the institution. 

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) started the celebration from the Freedom Square to the main gate and then round the various faculties. Music was provided by live bands and disc jokeys, while the workers danced, shared drinks and took pictures of the celebration. SSANU-LASU chairman, Mr. Saheed Oseni said “you can see for yourself that the foot print of the VC has left LASU. 

It will serve as a lesson for the incoming VC to thread softly. He or she must know it is teamwork for him or her to succeed. ‘’Professor Lateef Hussain’s (former VC) case is not as symbolic as the current situation. For seven months, Professor Obafunwa couldn’t come into the campus nor use his office in Admin Block 1. The new VC must learn from the exit of Obafunwa.” NASU-LASU Chairman, Mr. Agosu Albert, said many people thought the workers would not be able to sustain the crisis but that they have been able to overcome it. 

He recalled that it is the second time LASU workers were celebrating the exit of a “bad” VC and this would serve as a lesson for the incoming VC. ASUU-LASU chairman, Dr. Adekunle Idris, said the implication of the celebration is that the LASU community is relieved that an administration that engaged in victimization, impunity, lawlessness and clueless management is over, adding that “it is a birth of new hope.” 

He said the celebration is also significant because it sends “a signal to any would-be administrator that when you do good, people will be happy but when you do bad people will celebrate your exit.” 

However, Dr. Idris revealed that ASUU would not recognise any VC for a 2nd term because the issue of second terms was one of the sore points of the crisis. Daily Sun learned that the Governing Council would meet on Thursday to make some hard decisions which might include the appointment of an acting VC. But some of the workers insist the Council should follow due process and appoint the deputy VC (Administration), Prof Fidelis Njokanma. On March 16, 2015, Professor Obafunwa was chased out of the university campus by workers. He has not used his office till date. The Professor has been operating from his personal office at the Lagos State University College of Medicine.