Senates Of UNILAG To Appoint New Vice-Chancellor, The Senate of Lagos University (UNILAG), Akoka, will meet today (Monday) after President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to appoint an acting vice-chancellor.
Todaysloaded News recalls that President Buhari had asked the embattled and sacked Vice-Chancellor UNILAG, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe to step aside.
Buhari also directed the Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Dr. Wale Babalakin to recuse himself from official duties.
The president constituted a special visitation panel to look into the ongoing crisis in UNILAG
The panel was given two weeks to submit its report.
The panel is to be chaired by a former vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Tukur Sa’ad.
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Mr. Sa’ad, a professor, was in office between 2002 and 2007, and was also a resident electoral commissioner in Borno State.
President Buhari has instructed the Senates of UNILAG to convene and appoint an acting vice-chancellor from among its representatives for the university council ‘s confirmation.
This was made known in a press statement signed by the Federal Ministry of Education spokesman, Ben Goong.
The Babalakin-led governing council of the institution had sacked Ogundipe as VC over alleged financial misappropriation and misconduct.
Nevertheless, Ogundipe rejected the Council’s decision, saying the University’s due process had not been followed.
But Babalakin insisted that due process was followed in the termination Ogundipe’s appointment.
More than 140 professors have signed for the convocation of the emergency senate meeting for Monday to elect a new VC, Premium Times reports.
The signatories are already more than half of the senate’s roughly 230 members and four times more than the required 25 to convey such meetings.
One of the key decisions to be reached at Monday’s senate meeting is the appointment of a new acting vice-chancellor for the institution.
Those who have reportedly signified their intention to contest for UNILAG VC include a former deputy vice-chancellor of the university, Babajide Alo, and a former registrar of the Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEP), Duro Ajeyalemi.
But others who are being prodded by various camps among the senate members include the former acting vice-chancellor who was controversially appointed by the governing council following the controversial removal of Mr Ogundipe, Omololu Soyombo; two deputy vice-chancellors – Ben Oghojafor and Folasade Ogunsola – and the provost of the university’s college of medicine, Afolabi Lesi.
Others who are being rooted for, include a former director-general of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Duro Oni, and the incumbent dean of the faculty of Law, Ayo Atsenuwa.