Lagos State Governor, who is also the Visitor to the Lagos State University, LASU, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will soon set up a Visitation Panel to look into the affairs of the university from 2009 till date.
Also, the State Executive Council will soon discuss the report of the Visitation Panel that probed the affairs of the Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, Ikorodu.
Speaking in a chat with our correspondent, the Special Adviser on Education to the Governor, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed the developments.
“Normally, Visitation Panels to universities are set up every five years, but for some reasons, the Lagos State University has not got any panel in the last 12 years and we are working on that. In the next few weeks members of the panel will be announced.
“The one led by Prof. Bamitale Omole was a special panel that looked into the controversies that trailed two selection exercises of the Vice Chancellor by the former Governing Council of the university. Its report and recommendations have been accepted and done.
“The statutory Visitation Panel would soon be set up. It is not a witch-hunting exercise. It is normal and expected and definitely, it would look into the finances of the school, staff strength, the facilities available and many more. It is to make things better.
“For the Lagos State Polytechnic, the report of the Visitation Panel would soon be considered by the State Executive Council and necessary actions taken,” he said.
Wahab gave the assurance that the state government would ensure that the standard of its tertiary institutions is world class.
“The state government is not abdicating its responsibility of funding the institutions adequately and that is why you would see that the fees charged in those schools are among the lowest in the country.
Some state-owned universities are charging fees comparable to what some private Universities charge, but ours is moderate,” he added.
Recall that LASPOTECH was engulfed in a serious criss that lasted over a year.
The staff unions were up in arms against the management then.