.VC reads riot act to 3,831 new students on social vices
By Gabriel Dike
The Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule has described teachers as agents of national development.
Sule, who spoke at the matriculation of 3,831 new students of the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Oto/Ijanikin also revealed that universities are pivotal to nation building.
According to him, universities are pivotal to nation building tasked with the production of manpower need of the country including teachers to handle schools.
Sule described LASUED as the pride of the state and that the university is important to the development of Lagos because teachers are agents of nation building.
The commissioner advised the VC and the management team to work harder and take to LASUED to greater height. He assured them that adequate funding would be provided for infrastructure and accreditation of programmes.
Sule charged the students to face their studies, steer clear of anti social vices and avoid anything that would disrupt the academic calendar of LASUED.
He revealed that the state government has approved 750-seater auditorium for LASUED at the Epe Campus. The commissioner lauded the newly admitted students for making a bold statement with their admission into the university.
In her address, LASUED Vice Chancellors, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji- Okuneye said the university is growing fast in the right direction and would move to the next level of academic and physical development.
The VC disclosed that more colleges and programmes are being proposed, which would afford candidates seeking for admission in LASUED more variety of courses.
She acknowledged the contributions of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwon- Olu for his unwavering commitment towards making LASUED first-rate.
Prof Lafiaji- Okuneye explained that LASUED has recorded giant strides in the area of professionalization of teaching and that the institution understood the fundamental of teacher education enterprise.
Said she: “LASUED is a robust boot camp for nurturing the next generation of professional teachers. The university, which is a catalyst for development, is driven by an overwhelming desire to encourage vibrant academic culture.
“This culture is through the facilitation of effective teaching, cutting edge research, and impactful service to humanity. Our actions and activities do not only elicit robust academic exchange and discourse, but are also geared to improving the lots of our local and international communities.’’
Lafiaji-Okuneye congratulated the new students and explained that they are privileged to be offered admission to study various programmes in LASUED.
“You deserved a lot of commendation for this onerous achievements and the reason is simple. You are all aware that getting admission into a university in Nigeria today is a pretty tall order, following the limited admission space for qualified candidates.
“For instance, over 8,000 candidates applied to LASUED to study various education courses. Only the best 3,831 candidates, who had been found successful in the mandatory Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the screening by LASUED to further strengthen the quality our of intakes were offered admissions,’’ she added.
The VC charged them to face their studies squarely so as not to lose the golden opportunity of acquiring university education. She warned the students that LASUED has a standard, which they must attain and if they fail to meet the standard, the university would show them out.
Prof. Lafiaji-Okuneye warned the students that the university has zero tolerance for anti-social behaviour and tendencies. According to her, cultism, exam malpractice, physical fighting, indecent dressing, extortion, violent behaviour of any description, sexual harassment, prostitution and other manifestation of anti-social behavior have no place in LASUED.
She reminded the students that violation of the university code of conduct, which is contained in the Oath they took may result in immediate expulsion from the institution.
She explained that with the conduct of the matriculation ceremony, a new chapter of several opportunities, experiences and challenges awaits the new students in the institution.
The VC said as part of effort to raise fund for development, the university management has established the “Friends of LASUED Fund (FLF) for individual to donate N1,000 to the university.
To kicks start the FLF, Prof. Lafaji-Okuneye and family made a donation to the fund and disclosed that some individuals had early donated to the FLY, which is for a project that would be named as “Friends of LASUED Project.
Highlights of the ceremony include the administering of matriculation Oath on the students by the Registrar while students from the Department of Creative Arts entertained guests.
Picture caption: Cross section of graduating LASUED students.