AN Information Technology consultant and inventor of the Lagos State Government Education Management Systems, Mr Yomi Erogbogbo, has appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to restore the project.
LASGEMS, a brainchild of Erogbogbo, was introduced into the Lagos State education sector in 2006 to manage the information of all students in both private and secondary schools for on-line access.
Erogbogbo in an interview, stated that activities of LASGEMS had not been in the news since 2015 due to a forced project dispute which was now before an arbitration tribunal.
He said, “I have confidence that with about two years in office, Governor Sanwo-Olu is more comfortable with facts and developments to objectively approve the return of LASGEMS glory at a faster paced generalisation for continued growing benefits of Lagos State, the successfully established education management backbone evolving with technology advancements, mobile technology inclusive.
“Surely, data gap necessitated by past intrigues would be seamlessly and timely bridged, by an inbuilt system facility. The matter is before a competent arbitrator to determine continuity, recognition for the inventor, project windup options rather than threatened disengagement and liabilities where applicable.”
He also explained the aims of LASGEMS, saying, “It was launched in 2006 by the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led dynamic 2003-2007 administration that actualised the statutory legacy established by LASGEMS law of 2007, capturing Management of LASGEMS.
“The aims are; registration of students with government; electronic database of student records, maintaining comprehensive database records of all students in the state public/private primary, junior and senior secondary schools, collect and maintain personal details of all students, including contact information of parents and guardians/sponsors, collate and update academic performance details.
“For cost-effectiveness, the vibrant leadership directed for the activation of LASGEMS External Examination Registration feature from the first functional academic year, therefore partnered with WAEC from year 2007 WASSCE for automated registration of government sponsored SS3 final year candidates.
“Unbelievably, it pruned the number of annual candidates from over 110,000 to less 50,000 eliminating illegal candidates.
“Consequently saved government average of N500m per year at assumed cost of N10,000 per candidate and by implication the examination merchants blocked from an average of N1bn annual revenue at assumed rate of N20,000 per candidate. It was unpardonably suspended from 2016 by the 2015-2019 administration after nine successive years.”