The Lagos State Government has described the strike embarked on by lecturers of the Lagos State University (LASU) as an unnecessary drawback for its spirited efforts to boost the academic standing and reputation of the institution.
The government therefore appealed to the striking lecturers to embrace dialogue instead of continuing with their industrial action.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, said the striking members of the LASU branch of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) appeared to be whipping up sentiments to justify a premeditated industrial action, as all the points they advanced could not even be properly classified as trade disputes that could warrant an “Indefinite Strike Action.”
Reacting to the call for the reversal of LASU school fee’s regime, he expressed surprise at how this could have justified a strike, noting that the lecturers were aware that government was already in constructive discussions with the students.
“It is a matter of fact that the students have already submitted a position paper on the issue which government has also constituted a 7-man committee to review and advise upon,” he said.
While explaining the government’s stance on the various issues raised by the lecturers, Ibirogba faulted them as a crude attempt to force new terms and conditions of service on the university without due regard to their practical feasibility or the state government’s interests and perspectives as employer of ASUU executives, according to him, “have in an attempt to rush out on strike, evaded all attempts to make them follow due process and engage in reasoned dialogue as regards the issues raised,” adding that most of them were not at all contemplated by the terms and conditions of the lecturers’ employment as well as its financial and academic plan.
He said following a “14- day ultimatum” issued by the union, the state government has set up an ad-hoc committee, which examined all the points raised by the lecturers”
