JAF DEPLORES Police Brutality in LASU & Security Operatives’ Violence on ASUU in AAU!

RE-OPEN LASU; STOP VICTIMISING THE STUDENTS, REVERSAL OF TUITION FEES NOW!!

ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY: RESPECT AGREEMENTS WITH ASUU NOW!!

 Press Statement

1. The Joint Action Front (JAF) condemns strongly the brutality by the Nigerian Police on the order of the Lagos State University (LASU) Vice Chancellor on LASU students, who protested the closure of the university portal that denied them access to complete their registration in order for them to write examinations.
2. JAF noted from the widely publicised media report that the protest, which took place in front of the institution’s Senate building, was peaceful, as students displayed placards to express their voices against the closure of the portal. The students were reported to have pleaded, by prostrating before the VC to consider the re-opening of the portal, but rather than accede to their germane demand, the VC went ahead to invite the Police to REPRESS the protest.
3. It should be noted that JAF has consistently maintained the position that LASU is prone to crises because of the wicked increases in school fees since 2011. LASU students pay school fees ranging from N193,000 to N350,000, in a State where the Government is defaulting in implementing the N18,000 National minimum wage.
4. The anti-poor hike in LASU tuition fee, which used to be N25,000 had led to several thousand students dropping out of the university and others offered admission not being able to enrol into the university, because it is impossible for the poor parents and residents, who constitute more than 90% of those living below the poverty line, to pay such outrageous fees.
5. The current crisis, which arose because of the closure of the portal system of registration, further depicted the callousness of the university authority to the poor students and their parents, few of who, had to squeeze themselves dry to raise such abominable fees on the eve of writing their examinations.
6. The realities that the Nigerian public and Lagosians in particular, should note is that, the Lagos State Government is bent on its anti-poor Education policies, which explains why it refuses to adequately fund public education, in order to make Lagos the exclusive preserve of the few Rich at the expense of the majority poor parents and students that will never be able to pay.

On Brutality of ASUU members at Adekunle Ajasin University

7. Equally, JAF deplored yesterday’s attack and brutality by the security operatives of the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba (AAUA) on the order of the Vice Chancellor of the University on the Chairman of ASUU AAUA – Dr. Busuyi Mekus and other ASUU members from the University of Ibadan, Benue State University who were in the university premises for a meeting.
8. JAF noted that the unprovoked attack by AAUA dictatorial authority earned the brutalised ASUU members serious injuries and landed them in the hospital. It should be recalled that Professor Femi Mimiko has denied non-academic staff in AAUA the exercise of their trade union rights and is at the same time in a war to kill ASUU in AAU. This is a battle he can never win.

JAF Demands the followings:

9. Immediate reversal of the hiked tuition fees in LASU.
10. Unconditional re-opening of LASU without any form of victimization.
11. Immediate Stop to the continued harassment of academic and non-academic staffs in AAUA and urged the students, lecturers and non-academic staff in the university to join forces to RESIST the Professor Femi Mimiko’s authoritarian administration of the university.
12. An end to police and security operatives’ BRUTALITY of students, lecturers and non-academic staff in both universities.
13. An environment of Academic Freedom to allow students, lecturers and non-academic staff to freely express their legitimate and statutory rights and responsibilities.

DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN!

DR. DIPO FASHINA           COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU

JAF Chairperson                JAF Secretary