Following Protest, LASU VC Announces Removal of CBT Fee, Other Newly Introduced Fees

By Ewaoluwa Omolade

*Following Protest, LASU VC Announces Removal of CBT Fee, Other Newly Introduced Fees*

By Ewaoluwa

The Lagos State University (LASU) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello mni, has announced the removal of the CBT, Forensic, and Counselling fees after a protest by students at the Babatunde Fashola Senate Building on July 8, 2024.

The peaceful protest began at 8am, with students mobilising their peers across various faculties before converging at the senate building to express their dissatisfaction and demand the removal of the newly introduced fees. 

Following the commencement of the protest, the university management temporarily shut down the student portal and despite pleas from the Students' Union executives for the students to disperse, the protesters remained adamant on the cancellation of the fees. 

The Students' Union President, Comrade Haroun Tobun, urged the students to wait for two hours, with a promise to escalate the protest to Alausa on July 11 if no action was taken. However, the students returned after an hour with increased numbers, continuing their protest. 

Although the VC addressed the crowd to explain the reason for the introduction of the fee and to assure them of her understanding their pains as a mother, and initially promised to “review the payment” and later suspending all payments, the students remained unsatisfied and demanded a complete removal. She said; "The present CBT Centre is a private facility, and we pay 85,000,000 Naira every semester to use it. This introduction is meant to permanently cater for it."

After further negotiations and continued protests, Professor Olatunji-Bello ultimately announced the removal of all the introduced fees. This decision was met with cheers and jubilation from the students.