ERC CALLS FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTION TO USHER IN 31st LASUSU EXECUTIVES

EDUCATION RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (ERC)

Lagos State University (LASU) Branch

ERC CALLS FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTION TO USHER IN 31st LASUSU EXECUTIVES
ERC URGE LASUITES TO BE PREPARED TO PUT PRESSURE ON ANY LASUSU LEADERSHIP THAT EMERGES FROM THE ELECTION TO RESIST NEW FEE HIKE AND DEFEND THE RIGHTS TO QUALITY, FUNCTIONAL AND FREE EDUCATION FOR ALL

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) Lagos State University Branch calls on Lagos State University Students Union Independent Electoral Committee (LASUSU-IEC) to conducts a free, fair, and credible election to usher in legitimate 31st LASUSU executives. Also, we strongly urge the LASUSU-IEC to stand firm and do away with any system that would undermine their independence and integrity. By Independence, we mean a system outside their control. Our vast experience with the history of the LASUSU election has shown to us that, the LASUSU-IEC has always lacked control over electronic voting facilities and equipment. The past LASUSU leaders who conceived the idea of E-Voting, did that bearing in mind the credibility of the electronic voting platform. The e-voting system has produced great LASUSU leaders who can not be forgotten in the history of LASUSU and it was widely adjudged free and fair not until the last five years of the immediate past Vice-Chancellor. In our opinion, the immediate past VC used the control the University management has over the e-voting election facilities, equipment, and apparatus to frustrate and undermine the will of LASUITES. For us, having seen that the dependence of the LASUSU-IEC on LASU MGT for facilities, equipment and apparatus had been a ploy used to frustrate and undermine the democratic will of LASUITES and the credibility of the e-voting system, we strongly urge the present LASUSU-IEC to do away with a system it has no control over its facilities and equipment. We maintain this position in the interest of LASUITES and most especially the LASUSU-IEC members to avoid soiling their names in the mud of electoral fraud.

We equally call on LASUITES be prepared to organise themselves in order to exercise democratic control and put pressure on any leadership that emerges out of this election to defend their rights to free, functional, and quality education. The traditional function of the Students Union is to defend the rights of its members. These rights include demands for the reversal of LASU fee hike, to merge Stream 1 and 2 admission and eradicate variance fee, to invest more in LASU by completing the capacity hostel timely, building more infrastructure in LASU all in a bid to increase students access to functional, quality and affordable education as well as other democratic rights. Unfortunately, successive LASUSU Excos have been unable to fight decisively on any of the aforementioned issues while also being unaccountable to the students who elected them. Students must ensure that the new leadership is made to defend students rights and this is only possible if students organise themselves to use all democratic channels including the Students Parliamentary Council and the congress to regularly put pressure and place programmes of actions on the LASUSU executives. Therefore, right from now, students must begin to insist on the convening of a mass students congress as the first task of the new LASUSU Exco as soon as they are sworn in. Such a congress must be used to discuss and agree to a programme of action which the new exco must implement and such a congress must also be held regularly in order to keep the union leadership in check. Where there is any notice of any infraction or compromise, such a congress must also have the powers to checkmate and punish any erring exco via suspension and impeachment as mandated by the LASUSU constitution.

For us, we believe, those who stand a chance to sit or be elected as student leaders are those who have proven character of defending the educational and democratic rights of students. This is important because we are at a period that the student's rights to education are being attacked by University management and the government day in day out. Only firm student leaders can resist this attack and achieve victory for the students. But without the democratic control of the mass of students, any leadership can fail to represent students’ true interests. That is why it is important that together with voting their preferred candidates, the mass of students must begin to organise themselves to ensure that there is democratic control and checks on the new leadership of the union.

If you are interested in joining ERC or you want to know more about the organization, our core demands, principles, and value. Kindly call or chat up with 09036291512 and 07033697259.

Signed:
ERC LASU