14th September, 2020
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government has opened up on Monday’s protest and shutting down of the Lagos State University, LASU by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had ordered reopening of tertiary institutions in the state today, but as early as 7am, members of the ASUU and NASU locked the gates of the university in Iba.
The workers said they were protesting the non-payment of minimum wage by the government.
But Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Tokunbo Wahab said LASU, like other subvented Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, collected N450 million monthly from the government as subvention.
Wahab, in a statement said the government expected the institutions to also be responsible in the application of the funds and the staffing of the institutions. saying “we must also have at the back of our mind that they have IGR which they generate and not accountable to government on how same is expended.
“Aside the subvention, the government is also responsible for the infrastructural developments (which include the recently approved 8,000 plus bed hostel in this same LASU) of the institutions and other ancillary things, including payment for accreditation exercise for which the last one cost the government close to N500 million.
“We expect that the management of these institutions pay up their staff salaries to avoid situations that looks more like deliberate sabotaging of the efforts of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration as we prepare for schools resumption this week,” he said.