The management of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo, has stated that the second semester exam for the 2022/2023 academic session will start on February 13 (today) and continue until the afternoon of February 23 before a break. of four days. is observed.
The university said its students would resume to continue the exam on Tuesday, February 28 and observe another break between March 9 and 13, and should resume on Tuesday, March 14 to continue with the exams.
The latest development goes against the directive of the National Commission of Universities (NUC) that all universities and university centers be closed between February 22 and March 14 so that students can participate in the general elections.
New schedule
The university said the decision was made by its Senate in an emergency meeting held on Monday.
A university bulletin published this Monday by the Center for Information, Press and Public Relations (CIPPR), was entitled: “Decision of the Senate on the Ministerial Directive on the Closure of All Universities and Inter-university Centers During the Next General Elections of 2023”.
According to the bulletin, the decision followed a document submitted by the vice chancellor, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who also chairs the Senate.
The Senate decisions contained in the bulletin are as follows: “The ongoing examination must continue until 6:00 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2023; students must leave campus immediately and resume to continue their exams by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, and that students must leave campus by 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, 2023 to resume and continue with your exams before 8:00 a.m. :00 am on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.”
Calls for the right to vote for students
With Nigeria scheduled to hold presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25, and gubernatorial and state assembly elections on March 11, a coalition of civil society organizations has demanded a lot of time and opportunity. for students to exercise their civic responsibilities.
The coalition includes the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), ConnectHub, Dataphyte, Enough is Enough Nigeria, #FixPolitics, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), Reclaim Naija, The Electoral College Nigeria, Women Advocates and Research Development Center (WARDC) and Yiaga Africa.
The House of Representatives also asked government agencies in charge of tertiary institutions to close them during the elections.
Meanwhile, according to the Chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, as of October 2022, students make up 40 percent of the new voters registered during the Rolling Voter Registration between June 2021 and June. of 2022.
Yakubu said they also account for 27.8 percent (26,027,481) of the total 90 million registered voters, the election commission said.