UNILAG: SSANU queries branch chairman for supporting Ogundipe

The Senate of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, is set to meet on Monday to choose an acting Vice Chancellor for the institution in accordance with the directive of the Federal Government.

The acting VC will be recommended to the Governing Council of the university for the approval of the Visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Our correspondent gathered on Sunday night that the decision to meet as early as possible is to avoid creating vacuum in the system since there is no substantive or acting VC piloting the affairs of the university now.

The notice of the meeting is expected to be circulated among the members of the Senate on Sunday night, but that has not been done as at the time of filing this report.

It is not yet clear whether any of the two Deputy Vice Chancellors namely Prof. Ben Oghojafor, DVC, Management Services or Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, DVC, Development Services would be chosen as the Acting VC.

The third DVC,  Prof. Oluwole Familoni, DVC, Academics and Research, is no longer in office as his tenure has expired.

Recall that President Buhari on Friday, set up a Special Visitation Panel to look into the circumstances that led to the removal of the Vice Chancellor, Prof.Oluwatoyin Ogundipe by the Governing Council led by Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, about two weeks ago.

The President also asked Babalakin and Ogundipe to step aside pending the outcome of the panel.

The seven-member panel, headed by Prof. Tukur Sa’ad, was directed by the President to conclude its report and submit recommendations within two weeks.

Other members of the panel are Barrister Victor Onuohar, Professor Ikenna Onyido, Professor Ekanem Braids, Professor Adamu K. Usman, Chief Jimoh Bankole, and Barrister Grace Ekanem.

The faceoff between Babalakin and Ogundipe snowballed into the removal of the latter from office and the appointment of Prof. Omololu Soyombo as the Acting VC by Babalakin.

That step also heightened tension on campus and the intervention of the government saved the situation from degenerating, as supporters of both sides were already turning the campus to a place to canvass support among staff members like politicians seeking votes.