The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) will today, 24th August, convene to nominate an Acting Vice-Chancellor.
This follows President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive last week in which the Vice-Chancellor Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe and the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin were asked to recuse themselves from official duties.
The Federal government set up a seven-man special visitation panel to investigate the university’s crisis and submit a report with 2 weeks.
Appointed as Chairman of the panel is former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Tukur Sa’ad. Sa’ad was also a former Electoral Commissioner in Borno State.
President Muhammadu Buhari directed UNILAG Senate to meet and nominate an Acting Vice-Chancellor from among its members, The nominee will thereafter be confirmed by the University Council.
The Governing Council led by Wale Babalakin had sacked Prof Ogundipe over what it termed, financial impropriety and misconduct.
Ogundipe challenged the move for lack of due process contrary to Babalakin’s insistence that due process was followed.
Over 140 professors signed for the convocation of the emergency senate meeting for today, 24th August. the signatories are already more than half of the 230 members and 4 times more than the statutory 25 needed to convene such a meeting.
Top on the agenda for the meeting is the nomination of the Acting Vice-Chancellor. Contenders include:
- Prof Omololu Soyombo who was appointed by Babalakin’s team under controversial circumstances after Ogundipe was removed
- Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Ben Ogunjiafor
- Deputy Vice Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola
- Afolabl Lesi, Provost of the College of Medicine
- Duro Oni, Former Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC)
- Ayo Atsenuwa, Current Dean of the Faculty of Law.
Related story:
UNILAG Crisis: FG Orders Vice Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor to Step Aside
UNILAG Senate Will Nominate Acting Vice-Chancellor Today