The internal wrangling that has bedeviled the University of Lagos for some months finally took a new twist on Wednesday, over a purported removal of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Prof Olawatoyin Ogundipe, by the institution’s Governing Council.
Ogundipe’s removal was announced at a meeting of the university’s Governing Council held at the National Universities Commission in Abuja.
But the VC immediately countered the report, insisting that he was still head of the institution.
Dr. Wale Babalakin, UNILAG’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, was said to have chaired the Abuja meeting.
At the meeting, seven of the Council members reported to have voted for Ogundipe’s removal, four voted against it, while one of voted for his suspension.
The development was confirmed in a statement obtained by our correspondent from the media aide to Babalakin.
UNILAG Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Oladejo Azeez, confirmed this in a statement titled, ‘Notice To The General Public On The Removal Of The Vice-Chancellor Of The University Of Lagos’.
“The general public is hereby notified that at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 and in accordance with the statutory powers vested in it by law, the Governing Council of the University of Lagos removed Prof. Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS from office as Vice-Chancellor of the University with immediate effect.
“The decision was based on the council’s investigation of serious acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness and abuse of office against Prof. Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS.,” he said.
But in a statement signed by Prof Ogundipe, he asked the general public to disregard the above statemen.
“The purported removal is an illegality and cannot stand as it is in clear violation of the University of Lagos Act, as amended.
Assuming, without conceding, that the purported removal is true, the extant laws have not been complied with.
Therefore, stakeholders of UNILAG and the general public are advised to disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG. Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, fas, still remains the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Laagos,” Ogundipe wrote in a statement signed by him.
There has been no love lost between Babalakin and the Vice-Chancellor, whom he has accused of not carrying him along in the running of the institution’s affairs.
The crisis in the institution led to the sudden cancellation of its graduation ceremony earlier this year. The cancellation was on the orders of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who acted on the basis of complaints made to him by Babalakin. The Governing Council chairman had complained that the management of the institution did not carry him along the planning process.
UNILAG chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has also condemned Ogundipe’s purported removal, and has called an emergency congress for Thursday to be held at the Akoka campus.
Chairman of the local council, Dr. Dele Ashiru, said the removal was illegal as it was against Section 17 of the University of Lagos Act.
“Our union condemns in the strongest terms this illegal reckless and destructive action by the pro-chancellor Dr. Wale Babalakin.
“Our Union affirms its confidence in the leadership of Prof. Toyin Ogundipe as the vice chancellor of a great University,” Ashiru said.
However, the Nigerian government through the ministry of education has said it was yet to be briefed about the purported removal of the Vice-Chancellor.
“The Federal Ministry of Education wishes to state that it is yet to be briefed on the developments at the University of Lagos regarding the purported removal of the VC,” Ben Bem Goong, spokesman for the ministry, said in a statement.
