The Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Dr. Wale Babalakin, has resigned his position.
He stated that there were too many vested interests in the crisis that rocked the University of Lagos recently, a situation that led to the sack of the vice chancellor, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, by the Babalakin-led governing council.
In his letter of resignation to the Minister of Education, Professor Adamu Adamu, and dated September 15, 2020, Babalakin said his action was informed by the presence of too many vested interests in the UNILAG crisis.
The letter reads: “Recent events have made my position in these two offices untenable. 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.”
He added: “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.”
It would be recalled that the vice chancellor of UNILAG, Ogundipe was removed at an emergency meeting of the governing council held in Abuja over alleged financial impropriety among other sins.
Ogundipe however protested his removal saying he was not given a fair hearing.
He therefore insisted that he remained the vice chancellor of the institution.
The governing council however went ahead to appoint Professor Theophilus Soyombo as the acting vice chancellor.
The Senate of the institution also protested, saying the removal of the vice chancellor did not follow due process, a situation which led to the Federal Government setting up a visitation panel to probe the crisis.
Both Babalakin and Ogundipe were asked to recuse.
Soyombo had to vacate the office of the vice chancellor too.
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Development Services, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, was appointed the acting vice chancellor.
The visitation panel which has concluded its job was reported to have submitted its report to the government on Thursday.
