Crisis In UNILAG As Governing Council Sacks VC
*I Am Still In Charge- Ogundipe
The lingering face-off between the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe and the Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, came to a head-on Wednesday as the Council announced the removal from office of the VC after a meeting held in Abuja.
But the VC in a statement he personally signed insisted that he is still the VC of the institution.
It was gathered that 12 members of the Council were present at the meeting and seven voted for the VC’s removal, four voted against and one voted that he be placed on suspension.
The University of Lagos Act 1962, stipulates a 14-member Governing Council to comprise the Pro-Chancellor, Chancellor, the VC, the two Deputy Vice-Chancellors, a representative of the Ministry of Education, one person representing a variety of interests.
Others are four persons appointed by the Senate of the University, two persons appointed by the Congregation and one person appointed by Convocation.
The Council, in a statement signed by the Registrar/ Secretary to the Council, Oladejo Azeez, said Ogundipe was removed from office based on alleged wrongdoing.
The statement was titled “Notice to the general public on the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos.” The statement read,” The general public is hereby notified that at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, 12th August 2020 and in accordance with the statutory powers vested in it by law, the Governing Council of the University of Lagos removed Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS, from office as the Vice-Chancellor of the university with immediate effect.
“The decision was based on Council’s investigations of serious acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness and abuse of office against Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS. “Thank you.”
Reacting to the development in a chat with one of our correspondents, the Chairman, UNILAG chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr Dele Ashiru, said the Council lacked such powers.
“We are following the development. We are aware that the Council relocated to Abuja to meet. The Council does not have the constitutional powers to sack the Vice-Chancellor. We will react appropriately when things become clear,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has also described as “untrue and a figment of his imagination,” the news of his removal Wednesday afternoon.
Professor Ogundipe in a statement explained that the “The attention of the University of Lagos (Unilag) management has been drawn to the ‘Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos’; dated August 12, 2020, and signed by Oladejo Azeez, Esq, Registrar and Secretary to Council, stating that the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS has been removed from office with immediate effect.”
‘This is untrue and a figment of his imagination. Therefore, stakeholders of Unilag and the general public are advised to disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting Vice-Chancellor of Unilag, contained in that notice. Professor Ogundipe still remains Unilag’s Vice-Chancellor.’
