CONTROVERSY: NULASS, LASUSU Contends Ownership of BRT Initiative

•NULASS INCREASES AVAILABLE BUS FROM 3 to 4

Erioluwa Adura, Ajayi Samiat

Speaking affirmatively, against backdrops by the NULASS presidency, the Lagos State University Students’ Union President, Badecious, has openly declared that the so-called new development of BRT buses conveying students to and fro the Lasu-Igando axis was ignited by the LASUSU.

Speaking with ACJ, in an exclusive interview, the Lagos State University Students’ Union President pointed out that public mass transit is a development that was fast-tracked by series of calls and meetings.

 “On Friday, September 10, 2021, the leadership of the students’ union had a courtesy to the Senior Special Adviser to Governor of Lagos State on Youth. We tabled our demands and challenges within and outside the campus. We also, talk about insecurity. It’s during this meeting that we discussed this LAG Bus and he placed a call to the management of LAG Bus and chairman of the house committee on transportation that “that student of Lagos State University needed their buses to come and convey our students in the evening. We told him that we want these buses to come around 4pm because that’s the period our students are always stranded when going home after the classes. Also, the welfare director of the union, Comrade Oyekan Fahd have been working tirelessly on this scheme and he’s at the final stage which is for them to come and start operations. This implies that LASUSU has been working on it for a very long time.“ He said. 

On the contrary, the President of the National Union of Lagos State Students, Hon. Braimoh-Igbo Ibrahim asserted that aginst a broadcast message released by the Lagos State University Students’ Union on the 13th of September 2021 which claimed that LASUSU met with the BRT officials at Igando to implement the BRT initiative. The Nulass President Braimoh-Igbo Ibrahim stated that the BRT officials do not reside at Igando and that their office was rather at Oshodi.  

"The headquarters of the igando axis is at Oshodi. You can't go to an office today to request something and get it would get done in the next hour. There has to be an existing plan to bring it to reality.

While Bedecious stated that he had a meeting on September 10, 2021, over the security issues and also a request for BRT, I have started making plans even before the 8th of September through telephone calls. I would even say that before September 8th, the day agreement was sealed, there has been meeting upon meeting before this." He noted.

Meanwhile, Badecious affirmed that the Students’ Association nonetheless took rigorous steps to make the BRT intervention feasible. 

He said: “for the buses outside the school gate, I personally called them to come. I got the link to their coordinator of Igando axis through Murtadoh, the former FEDSA LASU President. Murtadoh forwarded Man’s number to me and I called him for his service, he promised to come and he came.  His name is Ogbaide Okulugbehe.”

The NULASS boss while conversing with ACJ disclosed that The BRT initiative was flagged off and brought on campus on the 13th of September,  2021 showing there's an existing protocol In place. The Nulass president further unveiled that a broadcast message was sent out by the NULASS presidency during the early hours of the day but that of LASUSU came around noon.

Speaking, he said: "the buses came around on September 17, 2021, after many procedures like the zonal fare system, the kind of structure, where to pitch them, number of students it can cater for and the number of buses to maximize the population of the students. These are the procedures. I'm a student of Transport and so I understand their language.  Lasusu released another broadcast message on the 17th of September, 2021 when the buses came around. We could have sent a disclaimer stating Lasusu only wanted to usurp the image. But, I'm more particular about the students’ welfare irrespective of who gets the credit. Lasusu only complements the existing protocol". 

  

In furtherance, Braimoh-Igbo Ibrahim noted that because both parties had the same agenda, conjunction was meant to be reached. But LASUSU for whatever reason failed to give credit to the union in the broadcast message they sent out.

In his words, "I recognized that in the NULASS broadcast message that the LASUSU was also part of the process appreciating them. But LASUSU failed to do so even when it looked like NULASS implemented the initiative.

"The bus was to materialize in two weeks: before now these people have been running from the first gate to iyanopaja, which was just a survey. The first week the buses arrived was strictly for the survey, to know the number of students purchasing the cowry card, zonal characteristics and many more. But the lasusu assumed the buses had started working because they are not familiar with the process. It is far beyond putting a call on ground/across, it requires to follow up.” He said. 

According to Badecious, some facts appeared to be true in the so-called attempt or conception by the NULASS body.

In his words, “For NULASS, according to their President and their broadcast; the following are the facts. They were carrying out surveys for the use of public transit in LASU road as a normal routine and the management of the buses gave them conditions to know the number of students using the route and the time students is going for lectures and going back to their respective hostels. They said that the buses will materialize in the next two weeks. They said that the buses will have their park in front of Buba Marwa Main Auditorium. 

Meanwhile, for LASUSU, these are the facts. We already have a survey and the time we need them most is in the evening. The buses started operating a day after their broadcast. The buses are coming only in the afternoon to convey students to their respective hostels. We requested 3 buses and we told them to park in front of the LASU gate and they are parking there. When those buses came, they told the security that the students union asked them to park at the gate to convey students. Mr Ayo, the personal assistant to the Chief Security Officer of the school called me to confirm before they allowed them to stand there. 

With all these analysis, those buses outside the gates are from LASUSU because they are not in any way in line with the NULASS agenda. No one is taking the glory of another. We’re both working on it and our own came into use before theirs. And I want to use this medium to commend their efforts as well on ensuring effective mobility of students.” 

Meanwhile,  Braihmoh, cleared the notion that the buses outside are different from the one Nulass intended on bringing is wrong. 

“LBSL Is a body. The buses are the same. LASUSU is being so political oriented. He met Murirala at the first gate and pitched his initiative. He promised to be there but with the report that I have to receive an order from my boss  But there was a process on the ground already. You can't just call a private owned Lagos company and place an order. Previous institutions have tried that and it did work. You have to sit around the table and discuss. I decided not to make a proclamation after the deal got sealed but I waited for the endorsement to materialize Take effect.”

In a recent development, owing to the complaint of students, the NULASS presidency has lately implemented an increment in the number of buses to be available for the ease of transport of students.

According to a report made available to ACJ, 

“As a solution-oriented union, it pleases us to inform the students' populace, that the 3buses provided has been increased to 4buses, and there would be subsequent increment as time goes on”