15th September, 2015
Eromosele Ebhomele
The Lagos State House of Assembly is to begin an amendment to the state laws establishing tertiary institutions to ensure only one term for Vice Chancellors, rectors and provosts of the state-owned tertiary institutions.
This is partly to curb the crises that have rocked the various tertiary institutions in the state many of which have led to the sack of the headship of some of the institutions.
The motion for the amendment of the laws was co-sponsored by the Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade, and Chief Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru.
Other co-sponsors include Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti Osa 2), Ibrahim Layode (Badagry 1), Lanre Ogunyemi (Ojo 2) and Victor Akande of Ojo Constituency 1.
The sponsors also called for an urgent stakeholders’ meeting in the state to discuss challenges including accreditation of courses.
The meeting would help to advise the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on ways of achieving enduring solutions to the problems of the tertiary institutions in the state.
The lawmakers further called on Ambode to set in motion a machinery of government that would give a more serious effect to residential policy of the government in respect of the university as provided in Section 40 of the Lagos State University Law, 2004.
The proposal for a single tenure, according to the sponsors, is because they have observed that since the establishment of LASU, it has been bedevilled with internal crises and more often targeted at the incumbent Vice Chancellor’s aspiration for a second term.
They said in the history of the tertiary institutions in the state, almost all the Vice Chancellors and other heads have ended their tenures unceremoniously.
Lamenting that LASU had been crises-ridden thus affecting the image of the institution and its development as well as standard of education and objectives of establishing the institution by the state government, the sponsors expressed concern that some faculties that have brought honour, pride and recognition to the institutions especially the university are now either losing their accreditation or remaining non-accredited.
The motion was unanimously approved by the House.