Press Releases

LASU Visitation Panel Submits Report To Fashola
• Governor promises to implement report towards making varsity one of the best in Africa

Jun 9, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Wednesday received the report of the Panel of Inquiry into the crisis in the Lagos State University (LASU) with a declaration that all efforts would be geared towards making the institution a leading university in Africa.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Lagos House, Marina, where the event took place, said it is possible to uplift the University to such a level given the abundant human and material resources as well as the talents existing in the country.

"I think that we will accept the challenge to turn LASU into such a University. It will require taking very difficult and challenging decisions, but I believe that God will give us the courage and wisdom to do so", the Governor said.

He disclosed that the Government is already talking to the leadership of the Governing Council of the University "to review the Master plan of the existing infrastructure that currently lies in the University to see how we can develop a reasonable and foreseeable plan to address the conditions in which students and lecturers have to even impart and receive knowledge".

"We believe that all of these, coupled with the recommendations made by this Panel as well as the commitments that the public servants in Government now make, to transform our State, will lead us to deliver a higher institution of our dream", Governor Fashola said.

Noting that a small city like Hamburg, with a population of less than five million has almost 40 universities, Governor Fashola declared, "I believe that what we do here today will really be the beginning of a transformation for our country, for our State and for our people - the Black Race - in particular".

The Governor thanked members of the Panel for accepting "the request from us to assist in examining how our premier institution of higher learning has been managed over the years", adding, "In compliance with the powers vested in me by virtue of my office and in accordance with the laws setting up the institution, I express my very sincere gratitude to you for accepting the assignment".

"I also, on behalf of the students and members of the University Community, thank you because I do believe that the announcement of the constitution of this Panel and the membership as well as the diverse experiences that your individual and collective membership brought into the Panel, was a very welcome breath of fresh air in the University Community", Governor Fashola said.

He observed that the constitution allowed some measure of normalcy to prevail, adding that the students had every cause to be grateful to the Panel because they were at the time at the risk of not completing their academic session.

Promising to do justice to the Panel's Report, Governor Fashola declared, "I want to say publicly and on record that I and members of my team, the entire Public Service of Lagos State, will do all of our very best to assess and examine the recommendations that are contained in the Report that you have just submitted and I will give everything that I can to ensure that the implementable parts of this Report are expeditiously implemented".

Reiterating his belief that the glory of educational institutions in the country could be restored, Governor Fashola said, "I sit here today with all humility but with a lot of pride that the whole of my education was received in this country and I believe that if we have done it before, we can do it again".

Earlier, in his introductory remarks before submitting the Report, Chairman of the Panel, Hon. Justice Olaseinde Silva, said the Panel, within the time allocated to it, conducted all investigations and completed all tasks considered expedient on the review of the academic and administrative affairs of the University.

He said given the timeframe within which the Panel had to submit its Report – from January 1, 1999 to December 1, 2009 - the task was, indeed, herculean, but thanked the Governor and all the other Government and institutional agencies that assisted in one way or the other in enabling the Panel carry out a thorough investigation.

According to him, a total of 134 memoranda were received and examined by the Panel "with the intent of arriving at a just, fair and unbiased assessment" adding that all the eight terms of reference given the Panel were painstakingly addressed.

Expressing the hope that the Panel's recommendations would be most useful in taking LASU to the next level, the Chairman thanked Governor Fashola for giving the members of the Panel the opportunity to be of service to Lagos State.

Also present at the occasion were the Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele and his Establishment and Training counterpart, Mr. Jide Sanwoolu, the Special Adviser on Education, Dr Elijah Adewale, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Babalola, the Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu, Professor Itse Sagay and other members of the Panel as well as other top government functionaries.