Prof. Rahamon Bello, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, on Wednesday urged students union leaders in the institution to always embrace dialogue rather than confrontation.
Bello made the plea at the swearing-in of the institution’s Students’ Union executives for the 2015/2016 academic session.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the university management had in January at the 2014/2015 matriculation lifted the ban on students’ unionism in the institution.
It was proscribed by the Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe-led management following a violent protest in 2005, which led to the burning of residences of key university management staff.
Bello said: “Let us always dialogue rather than blow them up wrongfully on social media.
“Do not make UNILAG look like a jungle, a place where there is no law and order.
“As leaders, a lot of people are looking up to you to blaze the trail and remain a shining light, not only to the university, the students, but also the country at large.
“What is happening here today is a great feat in the life of this institution.
“I want to believe that this will surely live beyond the bounds of this institution.
“I want you all to feel free in partnering with the university management in finding lasting solutions to challenges.
“But you must do so in a way that is democratic and communal.”
The Dean of Student Affairs Division, Prof. Tunde Babawale, advised students against disruption of classes at will, saying it shows disrespect to teaching and non-teaching staff.
Babawale said: “There is a new plague of a reckless recourse by some students to social media as an avenue for raising issues that are meant to be purely internal.
“The University of Lagos Students’ Union should control the urge of its members to make money or seek cheap publicity at the expense of integrity and good image of the university.
“Students unionism will only be viable when it enhances the creation of a conducive environment for teaching and learning, and not the opposite.”
Babawale said the university management would no longer tolerate harassment of its members in their residences on campus during protest.
“Also, locking of the university gates at will, must be totally and out rightly discouraged by leadership of the union as it portrays our university in very bad light,” Babawale said.
He said the management, in its effort to make the hostels more comfortable for students, recently purchased new mattresses to replace all the old ones.
The dean said the management had also given directive and provided the resources required to totally eliminate bed-bugs from all the affected halls of residence.
He said: “Hostels like Shodeinde and El-Kanemi are currently being rehabilitated, while the process of building a new student centre with world-class standard has commenced.
“The Prof. Rahamon Bello-led management is known to be student-friendly, yet it is not prepared to tolerate any form of gangsterism or hooliganism on the part of any group on campus.
“You are, therefore, advised to focus on your academics as well as promote the welfare of your members, as this is the vision that the vice-chancellor intends to share with you.”
In his remarks, the Union President, Muhammed Olaniyan, a 400-level student of Accounting, said his election was a new dawn in student unionism in the institution.
Olaniyan said the union would synergize with all relevant authorities to make the institution an envy of other universities in the country.
NAN reports that the university management also inaugurated the Students Legislative Council as well as Faculty and Departmental Halls of Residence Executives.
Source: The Eagle.
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