From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
The management of the Lagos State University (LASU) has stated as false and malicious, the report in an online platform titled “Despite paying more than half a million, LASU HND Conversion students have not graduated since 2020”.
In a strongly worded press statement issued on behalf of the institution by Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile, Coordinator, Centre for Information and Public Relations, the university disclosed that the report was not only fraught with lies and half-truths, it appeared like a calculated attempt to smear the image of the university.
The statement read in part, “The attention of Authority of the Lagos State University has been drawn to a recently published report on an online platform titled “Despite paying more than half a million, LASU HND Conversion students have not graduated since 2020”.
“From keen observation, the said report is not only fraught with lies and half-truths, it appears like a calculated attempt to smear the image of the university.
“As a responsible institution, we consider it incumbent, therefore, to provide the true position of the story so that falsehood may not prevail over the truth,” the statement read.
The university then presented the true picture saying, “The HND/B.Sc Conversion programme which is a programme designed for two academic sessions, commenced at the University in 2020, therefore, it ‘COULD NOT’ have been possible for the University to graduate the newly admitted students in the same year of entry – 2020, as reflected in the headline.
“Students who have met the graduation requirements have all been presented and cleared by the University Senate for graduation, an assertion that can be confirmed in the 26th Convocation brochure of the university. A total of Forty-Eight (48) duly registered students graduated at the 26th Convocation of the University, Twelve (12) students’ results are awaiting the approval of the Senate while others have pending issues.
‘The University, like other academic institutions, has a time frame for the opening and closing of its portal (be it for payment, registration, examination, or other academic purposes). ANY student who DOES NOT utilise this time frame as expected would automatically be shut out. This might have accounted for some of them not being able to register. However, students who registered within the given time frame and sat for their examinations are able to access their results on the portal once it is released by the Directorate of Information and Communication Technology (DICT).
“Our findings further revealed that some of the students who were yet to be cleared, and probably sponsored the so-called report DID NOT go through the right channel for registration of courses, and might have engaged the services of surrogates to do the registration on their behalf which is always to their disadvantage.
“Some of the students who DID NOT comply with the rules and regulations guiding the process wanted the University to waive courses that they DID NOT pass, and those concerned were requested to take all their failed courses as carry-over, but, they were NOT willing.
“The University Authority hereby informs the stakeholders and the general public to discountenance the malicious report and seek valid information concerning all the academic programmes of the institution on the official platforms of the university.
“Additionally, it is imperative to state that the university will continue to work in line with the best global practices.
“Students with pending issues are therefore requested to visit the Director, Directorate of School of Part Time Studies (DSPTS), for legitimate guides towards resolving their issues,” the statement revealed.
