The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has become a casualty of the tussle between the school authority and the Chairman of the Governing Council, Wale Babalakin.
He was removed from office at an emergency meeting of the governing council held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting was said to be at the instance of Babalakin and notice signed by the university’s registrar, Oladejo Azeez.
A reliable source said during the meeting, Professor Adebayo Ninalowo, asked Ogundipe to excuse them after which a vote was cast for his removal.
It was gathered that seven people voted against him while four were in his support.
“We are very sad,” said a UNILAG lecturer in a brief interview with our correspondent.
According to him, the removal of the vice chancellor could not be justified in any way, particularly considering his laudable achievements within his short period.
He said there had not been any official reaction from ASUU yet as the news broke less than an hour when our correspondent spoke with him on phone.
It would be recalled that Babalakin had been at loggerhead over the institution’s 51st convocation which was scheduled to hold from March 9 to 12.
The convocation was suspended by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, following the complaint by Babalakin that due process was not followed in arriving at the decision to hold the convocation.
Angered by the development, the UNILAG chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, passed a vote of no confidence on Babalakin.
According to the chairman of ASUU, Dele Ashiru, Babalakin should not step into the university.
His words: “Dr. Wale Babalakin is now a persona non grata on our campus. We don’t want to see him again anywhere in the university. He is no longer needed.”
Attempt by the governing council to meet at the university last month was resisted as the lecturer insisted that Babalakin remained persona non grata.
