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As earlier reported yesterday, the 20th Convocation ceremony of Lagos State University might be under threat. This is because workers have decided to sack the Vice Chancellor and his team off the campus.

The coconut breaking ritual, which usually marks the beginning of convocation ceremonies in the Lagos State University (LASU), was disrupted yesterday as workers held the Vice-Chancellor, Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa, hostage.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) disrupted the ceremony, which usually holds at the university's main gate.
As top members of the university, led by Obafunwa made for the venue, the unions' members suddenly appeared, shouting ole (thief).
They started pelting Obafunwa and his entourage, comprising the two DVCs- Professors Sena Bakre (Academics) and Fidelis Njokama (Management)- Director, External System (DES) Prof Tajudeen Abaninkanda; Dean, Student Affairs, Prof Kabir Akinyemi and Akinwunmi Lewis, the registrar, with sachet water.
The unions locked the two main gates of the university, preventing vehicles from entering or leaving the campus.
Members then proceeded to the offices, chasing away workers.
But for his security aides, Obafunwa would have been attacked.
He was, however, forced to trek from the main gate to the second gate.
The 20th convocation, which is scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday, may not hold, as workers insist they will not allow Obafunwa on campus.
The university's internal security team could not overpower the protesters.
A police team from Iba Division arrived at the scene on invitation by the university. But the policemen were prevented from entering the campus.
The protesters later led Obafunwa out of campus through the second gate, where waiting policemen escorted  him to his official vehicle.
SSANU and NASU, led by Saheed Oseni and Agusu Albert, said: "Our DSA and Director External Studies once fought the former management on the same issues we are agitating for now. When the new management came in and made them professors with plum appointments, they turned their backs on workers and they are now the ones management is using to fight us.
"So, we feel the best thing is to also fight them. We thought we would find them in their offices. We wanted to strip them and parade them all over campus."
Oseni and Agosu said workers were tired of management's high handedness, disregard for due process in handling workers' matters, victimisation, casualisation and unpaid arrears, among others.
"As I'm talking to you, the 2013/2014 promotion examination has not yet been conducted. The management is stunting our members' career progression and we have done all we can to correct the situation to no avail.
"Obafunwa is also accusing us of being corrupt; we challenge him to identify any of our workers who has stolen anything since he came on board."
The duo said the unions had written to the management, giving it a 31-day ultimatum, which expired yesterday, adding that the management neither acknowledged nor acted on the letter.
ASUU-LASU Chairman Dr Adekunle Idris said the union was still peeved with Obafunwa for indicting one of their own, Prof O Fatunde for an insignificant issue, withdrawing of some members' PhD certificates and for saying some workers were parading spurious credentials.

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