Following a recent report that the management of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, has asked about 30 professors of the institution to go on compulsory retirement, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, yesterday clarified the issue.
Speaking with newsmen at the conference room of the institution, Fagbohun explained that the extant law for the retirement age of the university is 65 years for academic members of staff and 60 years for the non-academic.
Fagbohun in his clarification noted:
“When the amendment to the laws of the university was launched, the five-year statutory period of the vice chancellor was captured but even though there were debates in relation to retirement age of 70 years for academic members of staff and 65 years for non-academic members of staff. That was not part of the law and it was not part of what was signed into law by the government.
“We are aware that our great unions have made representation to the Lagos State government that these are the things they still want the government to look into and capture so that it would be in line with what is operating in federal institutions.
We are also aware that government did not oppose it because they have not made any statement to reveal whether the position of the union is acceptable to them.
“So, it is not the case that we are forcing professors to retire; it is simply the case that in line with our extant law, the routine approach is that when somebody is nearing retirement, you will be reminded via notice to get yourself ready.
No university wants to lose its professors or professionals because at the end of the day, these are people who contributed immensely to the development of the university. So, it does not arise at all that there is a case of trying to force our professors out.”