President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reinstatement of the suspended University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and affirmed the dissolution of the governing council led by Dr. Wale Babalakin.
President @MBuhari has approved all the recommendations of the Report of the Special Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos. Among the recommendations are the reinstatement of Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor, as his removal did not follow due process.
— Government of Nigeria (@NigeriaGov) November 11, 2020
Buhari said that the decision was made to restore peace, stability, focus, and direction that had been missing in the varsity since face-off between the governing council and reinstated Vice-chancellor started.
The Panel also recommended that all allegations made against the Vice Chancellor and the management of the University before & after Constitution of the Special Visitation Panel should be referred to regular Visitation Panel for thorough investigation & necessary recommendations.
— Government of Nigeria (@NigeriaGov) November 11, 2020
Buhari’s approval was said to have been made after a careful review of the report by Special visitation panel set up to address the face-off that crippled academic activities within the institution.
Accordingly:
—Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe is hereby reinstated as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
—The Governing Council of the University of Lagos is hereby dissolved.
— Government of Nigeria (@NigeriaGov) November 11, 2020
Also , the president, through a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Education, Ben-Bem Goong, made available to newsmen on Wednesday and seen by Equity News
He said: “Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe is hereby reinstated as the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG and the Governing Council of the University of Lagos Chaired by Dr. B. O. Babalakin is hereby dissolved”.
Buhari argued that the process adopted by the governing council before Ogundipe’s removal from office and appointment of prof. Omololu Soyombo as Acting Vice-Chancellor were inconsistent with the law.
According to him, Vice Chancellor was not granted an opportunity to defend himself on the allegations upon which his removal was based while the allegations made against the Ogundipe and the institution’s management before and after the Constitution of the Special Visitation Panel should be referred to regular Visitation Panel for a thorough investigation and necessary recommendations.
“The process adopted by the Council in the appointment of Professor Omololu Soyombo as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University was inconsistent with the provisions of the Law relating to the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor”.
