LASU Sacks 20 Lecturers For Non Possession Of Ph.D. Degrees

*Concerned staff, alumni describe council’s decision as
double standard

The Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has sacked 20 lecturers
and retired one for not possessing PhD degrees.

The Governing Council of LASU took the decision recently after a
report of the Appointments and Promotions (Academic) Committee
(APC).

The decision to sack the staff without PhD degrees was on
recommendations of the report of the 137th statutory meeting of APC
which was presented at the 124th statutory meeting of council held
November 2020 at the Council Chambers.

The report of the committee was signed by the Deputy Registrars,
Academic Staff Establishment, DS Oguegbe, and it reads: “Please
find forwarded report of the 137th statutory meeting of APC held
virtually on Tuesday 3rd and reconvened on Wednesday 4tg November
2020 via Zoom.’

A lecturer 1 in the Department of Business Administration
narrowly escaped sacked. He was retired from the services of LASU
after lecturing for 19 years. The committee revealed that he
applied for M.Phil/Ph.D from 2013/2014 academic session and had no
evidence of completion of the programme.

Among those sacked include a Lecturer 1 in Foreign Languages,
who had put in 33 years in service. He was granted approval to
undertake a PhD in French Studies in LASU from 2013/2014 academic
session. The committee discovered he had no evidence of completion
of the PhD degree.

The committee also discovered that a Lecturer 11 in Industrial
Relations and Human Resources Management, who had spent 23 years in
service was granted approval to pursue PhD in Business Studies at
University of Wales, UK, from 2007 to 2012.

The council discovered that rather he enrolled for PhD in
Business Administration in 2014 at Babcock University without
approval. ‘There was no evidence that he is still on his PhD.’

According to APC findings, six lecturers did not respond to the
committee’s request on their PhD programmes, thus it recommended
that they be sacked from the university.

Reacting to the sack, the Concerned Academic Staff of LASU and
Concerned Alumni of the university wondered why the governing
council approved the termination of their appointment when it
shortlisted a professor without PhD degree for the Vice-Chancellor
interview.

Both the concerned staff and alumni described the governing
council’s action as a double standard in the application of rules
and regulations guiding LASU, sacking lecturers without PhD and
shortlisting one for VC selection interview.

Another group of LASU workers also questioned the rationale for
the sack when the management recently employed relations of some
senior staff and union leaders as administrative staff and
lectures.

‘This is a double standard. While the council approved the sack
of over 20 lecturers, the university management through the back
door engaged family members and relations of some LASU staff. The
employment did not follow due process.’

*Concerned staff, alumni describe council’s decision as
double standard

The Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has sacked 20 lecturers
and retired one for not possessing PhD degrees.

The Governing Council of LASU took the decision recently after a
report of the Appointments and Promotions (Academic) Committee
(APC).

The decision to sack the staff without PhD degrees was on
recommendations of the report of the 137th statutory meeting of APC
which was presented at the 124th statutory meeting of council held
November 2020 at the Council Chambers.

The report of the committee was signed by the Deputy Registrars,
Academic Staff Establishment, DS Oguegbe, and it reads: “Please
find forwarded report of the 137th statutory meeting of APC held
virtually on Tuesday 3rd and reconvened on Wednesday 4tg November
2020 via Zoom.’

A lecturer 1 in the Department of Business Administration
narrowly escaped sacked. He was retired from the services of LASU
after lecturing for 19 years. The committee revealed that he
applied for M.Phil/Ph.D from 2013/2014 academic session and had no
evidence of completion of the programme.

Among those sacked include a Lecturer 1 in Foreign Languages,
who had put in 33 years in service. He was granted approval to
undertake a PhD in French Studies in LASU from 2013/2014 academic
session. The committee discovered he had no evidence of completion
of the PhD degree.

The committee also discovered that a Lecturer 11 in Industrial
Relations and Human Resources Management, who had spent 23 years in
service was granted approval to pursue PhD in Business Studies at
University of Wales, UK, from 2007 to 2012.

The council discovered that rather he enrolled for PhD in
Business Administration in 2014 at Babcock University without
approval. ‘There was no evidence that he is still on his PhD.’

According to APC findings, six lecturers did not respond to the
committee’s request on their PhD programmes, thus it recommended
that they be sacked from the university.

Reacting to the sack, the Concerned Academic Staff of LASU and
Concerned Alumni of the university wondered why the governing
council approved the termination of their appointment when it
shortlisted a professor without PhD degree for the Vice-Chancellor
interview.

Both the concerned staff and alumni described the governing
council’s action as a double standard in the application of rules
and regulations guiding LASU, sacking lecturers without PhD and
shortlisting one for VC selection interview.

Another group of LASU workers also questioned the rationale for
the sack when the management recently employed relations of some
senior staff and union leaders as administrative staff and
lectures.

‘This is a double standard. While the council approved the sack
of over 20 lecturers, the university management through the back
door engaged family members and relations of some LASU staff. The
employment did not follow due process.’