A lawyer, Chief Adekunle Funmilayo, has threatened legal action against the University of Lagos (UNILAG) if it proceeds with its plan to send students to Russia for a year-long program.
He also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the matter.
Funmilayo criticized the university’s insistence on sending 17 second-year Russian language students to Russia as a mandatory requirement for advancing to their third year of study.
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He highlighted that the students, admitted in the 2021/2022 academic session for a bachelor’s degree in Russian language, are now being compelled to travel to Russia for a compulsory one-year program despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“The ongoing war in Russia is a source of fear and concern for the students, their parents, and sponsors. It is not advisable to travel to Russia in its current state of war with its Ukrainian neighbors,” Funmilayo stated.
He further alleged that the university gave the students an ultimatum: either travel to Russia or face withdrawal from the program.
Funmilayo also pointed out that the university failed to consider the financial burden of traveling to Russia during economic hardship, as well as the psychological impact of threatening students with expulsion if they are unable to afford the trip.
In a petition to President Tinubu, Funmilayo emphasized that the harsh economic conditions and unstable foreign exchange rates were not taken into account in the university’s insistence on sending the students to Russia.
“The anticipated cost may rise to N20 million or more. Why must the university subject these innocent and poor Nigerians to such hardship to get a degree in the Russian Language?
“The students were not told from inception that going to Russia for a year would be mandatory.”
The lawyer said even if a trip to Russia for a year was a requirement, it could not be “cast in stone” due to the war with Ukraine and the economic situation.
Funmilayo urged President Tinubu to intervene.
The lawyer wrote: “We, therefore, appeal to you to prevail on UNILAG authorities to reconsider this matter to either allow the students to switch to other courses or let the third-year students be done without going to Russia.
“They are Nigerians and are entitled to be treated with some dignity in their quest for higher education.”
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The lawyer copied the National Assembly, the National Universities Commission, NUC, the UNILAG Vice Chancellor, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts; the Dean of Student Affairs and the HOD of European Languages and Integration Studies.
Funmilayo, in the petition to UNILAG, threatened to sue if it did not address the issue within a week.
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