Massive Protests Mar May Day Celebration In Lagos

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Massive protests marred today’s May Day celebration at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria as hundreds of protesters halted the traditional parade observed during the celebration and criticized the Lagos State Government’s policy of higher tuition fees at the Lagos State University, LASU.

Thousands of students, lecturers and non-academic staff from LASU, civil society groups, among others stormed the stadium very early and disrupted the marchpast and engaged in exchange of words with Governor Babatunde Fashola, openly criticizing him for his policy on education, an act that irked the governor.

The protesters carried anti-government placards to express their displeasure against the Fashola administration and chanted anti-government songs. They condemned the hike in the institution’s fees.

The situation caused delays and intermittent stops of the rally as policemen, led by the state`s Commander of the Rapid Response Squad, Mr Hakeem Odumosu battled hard to bring the protesters under control. Thousands of workers who had come for the rally watched as some of the protesters attempted to force themselves into the state box, where Fashola and other guests were sitting.

The venue soon became a protest ground as other groups, such as the Joint Action Forum (JAF) and other civil society groups staged simultaneous protests against LASU fees, abduction of school girls by insurgents among other issues.

Chairman, Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, LASU, Dr. Adekunle Idris, said the problem is very clear, “our members are protesting against the exorbitant school fees that is being charged at LASU, school fees that range from N197,000 to N350,000.

“For first degree, we believe it is exorbitant, it is anti-people and against the citizens of this country and that is why we are protesting today amidst other things going on at LASU, such as premature retirement of our professors on the professorial cadre, such as the evil policy of the university administration of LASU that says that our people will not be promoted except when they create the vacancies and that is against the tenet of universities worldwide.”

“We say no to this oppression, we say we have a social responsibility to the society to protect the interest of the people of this country.”

Coordinator, JAF, Abiodun Aremu said there must be total reversal of the high school fee regime at LASU, saying that if Fashola refused to reverse the school fees, another government would do it.

He insisted that LASU was created a public university and must not be run like a private university with exorbitant school fees.

“If your government refused to reverse the school fees, another government will do it. If you want education for the rich, go and create your own university, the school was created as public university, adequate funding of education is not negotiable, LASU cannot be run like a secondary school.

“The right of workers to promotion is not negotiable, the rights of students to independent unionism is not negotiable. You can see what our country has become, today, no security, they can take away our 200 girls and yet the government is irresponsible. All Lagos workers, don’t allow anybody to intimidate you,” he stated.

Fashola described the protest by LASU lecturers as unnecessary, saying the government has been making efforts to resolve the tuition fee controversy.

“Just yesterday, I received a proposal from LASU students on how we can agree on a middle ground on the tuition issue. This proposal was a result of the meetings I had with them earlier. Of course, I will pass the proposal to the state executive council for deliberation. We are already taking steps on the LASU issue. I doubt if the protesters are aware of this. I doubt if they are representing LASU,” he lashed out at them.

The governor urged workers against embarking on frequent strikes to pursue their demands, as such moves hampered productivity, adding that government was initiating steps to improve the welfare of workers and support their career growth.