There are indications that suspended Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has been reinstated.

Reports indicate that he was not found guilty by the presidential panel that investigated the crisis that engulfed the institution due to the disagreement between him and popular businessman, Wale Babalakin, who was, until a few weeks ago, the Pro Chancellor/ Council Chairman.

The governing council of  the University of Lagos  had removed Ogundipe as the VC, a move that led to protests by the Senate and some other staff.

As the drama unfolded, President Muhammadu Buhari, as visitor to the University, had removed Prof. Theophilus Soyombo, the Acting Vice Chancellor appointed by Babalakin and appointed Prof Folashade Ogunsola to act as the VC pending the report of the visitation committee.

A member of the Senate at the University of Lagos, Prof. Chioma Agomo, has said that the Governing Council is handling the institution as if it is a banana republic.

According to her, this is not possible and the Senate is out to resist it.

She said this with reference to the handling of the allegations against the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, whom the Council has been announced suspended.

The Council led by Dr Wale Babalakin has appointed an Acting VC, Professor Theophilus Soyombo.

Agomo, a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, said the Senate had no problem with any allegation against Ogundipe, but due process must be followed in determining the value of the case.

She said the Senate had reported the matter to the National University Commission, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Presidency.

“Let the status quo remain and let due process be followed,” Agomo said.

Tobi Ijalana

The leadership crisis rocking the University of Lagos appears to have deepened overnight with the announcement of an Acting Vice Chancellor by the Governing Council.

The Acting VC, according to the Council, is Professor Theophelus Soyombo.

This is as the Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, whose removal was announced by the Council on Wednesday, has vowed that he is still in charge.

The announcement of the Acting VC is contained in a statement issued early Thursday by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Oladejo Azeez.

Noting that he made the announcement in his capacity as the Registrar and Secretary to Council, the only custodian of the minute of the Council and the authorising officer on behalf of the council to issue official statements pertaining to all council affairs, Azeez said:

“Members of the public are hereby advised to totally disregard the statement attributed to the said former vice-chancellor. The position remains that he was lawfully removed by the Governing Council at a meeting fully attended by all Council members.

“I also wish to use the opportunity to inform members of the public that Council at the said meeting duly appointed Professor Theophilus Omololu Soyombo of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos as Vice-Chancellor of the university in an acting capacity.”

Meanwhile, in his Wednesday statement, Ogundipe had insisted that his ‘purported removal’ was an illegality and so could not stand, arguing that it was in clear violation of the University of Lagos Act, as amended.

He noted: “Assuming without conceding, that the purported removal is true, the extant provisions of the law have not been complied with.

“For with the avoidance of doubt, the University Act states that: ‘if it appears to the Council that there are reasons for believing that the Vice Chancellor… should be removed from his office… on the grounds of misconduct or inability to perform the functions of his office… the Council shall… a. Give notice of those reasons to the person in question; b. Make arrangements: For a joint committee of the Council and the Senate to investigate the matter where it relates to the Vice Chancellor… and to report on it to the Council….

“Therefore, stakeholders of UNILAG and the general public are advised to disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting Vice Chancellor of UNILAG.

“Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, FAS still remains the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos.”