The recent reversal of the hike in tuition paid by students of the Lagos State University has been described as an All Progressive Congress deceitful tactic to gain the vote of Lagosian at next year’s election and not in the interest of the people.
The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party through its Publicity Secretary of the Lagos PDP, Mr. Taofik Gani opined thus in an interview with our correspondent.
Naijalog recalls that earlier in the year the governing council of LASU announced a 300 % increase in school fees paid by the students.
This led to massive unrest and subsequent closure of the school.
However, the Lagos State Government which refused to shift grounds on a possible reversal of the fees for more two weeks ago mysteriously reduced the school fees from N180,000 and N350,000 (depending on the course of study) to N25,000, weeks after suffering election defeats in Ekiti state.
The school fees reversal has since been commended by the Student Union Government, who described Fashola as a “listening governor”.
However, Mr. Taofik Gani, described the reversal as a “desperate move by the All Progressives Congress-led government to retain power next year after years of mismanagement.”
He said it was unfortunate that it took Fashola three years to reverse the fees. He added that Fashola owed the students an apology for arresting them during several protests.
He said, “We are more than convinced that the reversal in LASU school fees at this point in time is politically-induced and it is more of politics than in good faith. It is just unfortunate that Lagosians are suffering from a man they gave their votes to.
“It shows that Fashola did not mean well for the state. Everything he does is for pecuniary interest. Isn’t it curious that the reversal came after his party had lost in Ekiti State and was about to contest again in Osun?
“The commendation should go to the students and not Fashola. He should apologise to those who have not been able to go for their National Youth Service Corps programme because of the three-year trauma that he put them through, and now he is suddenly reversing it.”
The PDP said it had information that Fashola was planning to reverse some “anti-people” policies ahead of next year in order to woo the electorate.
“We have it on good authority that this administration is planning to soft-pedal the enforcement of the draconian law restricting the movement of commercial motorcycles and buses. This is just for next year’s elections and I hope Lagosians, especially those that are mostly affected, do not fall for this because once the election is concluded, if the APC is voted in, it will come up with more draconian laws,” the party said.