The Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), has resigned following strong disagreements with the Federal Government on the Visitation Panel sent to the university; saying indices presage the panel was raised to exonerate the Vice-Chancellor and implicate the Pro-Chancellor.
Babalakin’s letter of resignation to Education Minister, Adamu Adamu dated September 15, 2020 was made public barely hours after the panel submitted its report. The letter was also copied to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Visitor to the university. Babalakin who appeared before the panel in protest, made it clear that the panel could not determine the issues before it and emphasized that he will also not be available again to serve as the chairman of the Federal Government Negotiation Team on the Agreement reached with university unions in 2009.
“I would like to thank the President of the Federal of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (the “University”) from May 2017 till date. “I am also grateful that I was considered fit to be the Chairman of the Federal Government Negotiation Team on the Agreement reached with university unions in 2009, from 6th January 2017 till date. I equally want to thank you sir, for your role in recommending me to the President,” the letter read in part.
“I led the Governing Council of the University to remove the Vice-Chancellor of the University from office for amongst other reasons: (a)Corruption and financial recklessness; (b)Forgery; (c) Complicity in the collapse of the University library and planned cover up; (d) Deliberate policy of wrongfully concealing information; ( e) Depriving the Faculties in the University of funds; (f)Concealing and distorting finances of the Internally Generating Units of the University; (g)Undermining the academic process and seeking to appoint a Professor by fiat; (h) Siphoning of the University’s funds through dubious contract awards; (i)Undermining the office of the Registrar; (j) Failure to follow due process in organizing the University’s convocation ceremony; and (k) Sponsoring or acquiescing in the unconstitutional actions of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos chapter.
“Sir, it is noteworthy that all the Federal Government Representatives who are the independent members on the Governing Council voted for the removal of the Vice-Chancellor. After calm had been restored in the University, the Visitor acting within his powers, set up a Presidential Visitation Panel to review the actions taken by Governing Council.
The Vice-Chancellor (who had been removed from office) and myself were told to recuse ourselves for the duration of the Visitation Panel. I find it difficult to understand how a non-executive Chairman of a Governing Council could be requested to recuse himself during the visitation. The Vice-Chancellor could only recuse himself if he were still in office. Implicit in this position is that the Vice-Chancellor was acknowledged as still being in office despite his removal.”
Babalakin also alleged that the composition of the panel was awkward and faulted the terms of reference of the committee, which he claimed, were biased and set to achieve a predetermined agenda. He said he only appeared before the Panel in protest because the panel could not determine the issues before it. “The terms of reference of the Visitation Panel clearly indicated to any discerning person that the Visitation Panel was empaneled to exonerate the Vice-Chancellor and implicate the Pro-Chancellor,” the letter noted.
