Closure of LASU illegal, says ASUU

Vice-Chancellor, LASU, Prof. John Obafunwa

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos State University chapter has faulted the closure of the university allegedly on the orders of the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. John Obafunwa.

The school management last Monday asked both workers and students to vacate the institution until further notice, citing the ongoing elections in the country as an excuse.

But LASU-ASUU, in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Monday, claimed that the “forcible closure’ was illegal.

The chapter Chairman and his Secretary, Dr. Adekunle Idris, and Dr. Wale Adeyemi, respectively signed the statement.

According to them, the VC has no legal right to shut down the ivory tower.

The action of the VC, they added, would disrupt the academic calendar of the institution.

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Parts of the statement read, “The union would like to state unequivocally that the open-ended recess announced for the sake of elections is not only unwarranted and disruptive to the academic calendar, it is equally illegal and therefore invalid as the vice-chancellor under the guise of the university management, has no authority within the LASU Laws to declare such.

“The shutting down of activities in the university, when other institutions are undertaking academic activities, is an act of impunity that will adversely affect our students – the main purpose for which the university exists.

“By law, only the Senate of LASU has the prerogative to adjust the academic calendar and declare a recess. The Senate has not done this. By practice, it is only the Visitor and Governor through the instrumentality of the Governing Council that can shut down the school for the purpose of election. That is the position of the law. The union condemns this current aberration in strong terms.”