8th December, 2010
Protesting students of the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, Lagos, South West Nigeria, this morning continued their demonstration against the continued closure of their school by blocking the ever-busy Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The students, numbering about 200, carried placards denouncing the state government for failing to meet their striking lecturers’ demand.
They also vowed to mobilise other students to stall Governor Babatunde Fashola’s bid for a second term in office.
Some of the placards carried by the students read: “LASU must resume,†“Enough is Enough,†“Fashola, hear our cry†and “Fashola, implement FG-ASUU agreement.â€
The protesters blocked both sides of the expressway and kept traffic at a standstill for one and half hour. They threatened to make Lagos ungovernable for the governor for refusing to meet their lecturers’ demand.
There was a heavy traffic gridlock along the busy expressway as a result of the blockade. Motorists groan as traffic came to a standstill.
A team of policemen who came to the scene told the students to leave the road but they refused, saying they were fighting a just cause.
The police later left the students to continue the protest.
LASU lecturers and others in various tertiary institutions in Lagos State embarked on strike 77 days ago to force the state government to honour the FG-ASUU agreement as regards improved salary and welfare of varsity teachers.
Public Relations Officer, Students Union , LASU, Mr. Seriki Agboola, told P.M.NEWS that the students would continue to block the expressway until their school is reopened.
“If Fashola did not re-open the school by meeting ASUU’s demand, we will mobilize students not to register for the forthcoming voter registration exercise and work against his second term bid.
“We call on Lagosians to come to our aid because Fashola said he cannot fund education. We will make Lagos ungovernable for Fashola if LASU did not resume,†he warned.
According to him, students are resolute to pursue the cause of re-opening the varsity to logical conclusion using every means to achieve it. “We are tired of staying at home,†he added.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga
