UNILAG Senate, Unions Back Ogundipe as Sacked Vice Chancellor Heads to Court

THE Senate of the University of Lagos has thrown its weight behind the sacked Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.

Unions in the University which include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) also backed Ogundipe.

Rising after an emergency meeting on Thursday, the Senate kicked against Ogundipe’s sack and said it has lost confidence in the governing council led by Dr. Wale Babalakin.

Speaking after the meeting, the Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Chioma Agomo said, “Unanimously, without a single dissention we agreed that due process has not been followed; that the purported removal of our vice chancellor has no legal effect because there are laid down procedures. Therefore, the Senate passes vote of confidence in our vice chancellor and we do not recognise anything otherwise.

“Secondly, Senate has also unanimously agreed that it had lost confidence completely in the present Council of the University of Lagos. We had more than a third of members that attended the meeting at short notice and we agreed that we have lost confidence in the Pro-Chancellor, we have lost confidence in the Council.”

ASUU Chairman , Dr. Dele Ashiru, said the decision to sack the Vice Chancellor was reckless and illegal. He said the Union will not accept any new Vice chancellor.

“Let me send a word of advice to any surrogate vice chancellor where ever he may be. This university is not a Jankara Republic where village chiefs are appointed by fiat.  Anybody who is dreaming to become Vice Chancellor should wait until the end of the tenure of Prof. Ogundipe, apply properly and if qualified will be appointed VC. To think that anybody will become vice chancellor by kangaroo factor, paddy-paddy arrangement will not work in this university.

“We call on the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Minister of Education, Mr. Adamu Adamu, to please speak up in this flagrant violation of law. This is an assualt on the rule of law and a government that prides itself as a defender of the rule of law and fights against corruption cannot be criminally silent in the face of this provocation.

“We therefore, want to call the Executive Secretary of the NUC and the Minister of Education to please call Dr. Wale Babalakin to order, annul the purported illegal removal, and because of the consistent violation of the University regulations by the Dr. Wale Babalakin Council, we pray that that Council be immediately dissolved” he said.

Ogundipe appealed for calm. He said he has briefed his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and would challenge his sack in court.