LASU denies allegations of withholding graduation for HND conversion students despite payments
By Sodiq Adelakun
Lagos State University (LASU) has denied a report claiming that it has not graduated students who converted from Higher National Diploma (HND) to Bachelor’s Degree since 2020, despite them paying large sums of money.
The report, titled “Despite paying more than half a million Naira, LASU HND conversion students have not graduated since 2020,” was published by an online platform.
LASU’s Coordinator for Information and Public Relations, Mrs Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile, described the report as full of lies and half-truths, and suggested that it was an attempt to damage the university’s reputation.
“As a responsible institution, we consider it necessary, therefore, to provide the true position so that falsehood may not prevail over truth.
“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 48 duly-registered students graduated at the 26th convocation of the university, 12 students’ results are awaiting approval of the senate while others have pending issues,” she said.
Thomas-Onashile added that the university like other academic institutions, had a time frame for 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 will 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 ICT,” she said.
She added that some of the students did not go through the right channel for registration of courses.
“They 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.
“Those concerned are requested to take all their failed courses as carry-over, but, they are not willing,” she said.
Thomas-Onashile said that the university would 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,” she said.
