By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The embattled Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, who was sacked by the varsity’s Governing Council last week has dropped a lawsuit he filed at the National Industrial Court to challenge his sack.
This is even as the acting Vice Chancellor appointed in his stead, Prof. Theophilus Soyombo, continues to consolidate his position.
While seven members voted for the removal of Ogundipe, four voted against it; one of them voted that the VC should rather be placed on suspension.
The meeting was chaired by the UNILAG Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of its Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin.
Ogundipe’s suit, marked NICN/LA/278/2020, had as defendants: UNILAG; the varsity’s Council; its Senate; Pro-Chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN); Registrar, Oladejo Azeez; and Prof. Theophilus Soyombo, who was appointed acting VC in the wake of Ogundipe’s controversial sacking.
Ogundipe had filed an ex parte application, which was pending for hearing before the court.
But his lawyers, Messrs Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) approached the court on Friday with an application to discontinue the case.
The Notice of Discontinuance, filed pursuant to Order 61(1)(1) of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) 2017, simply read, “Take Notice that the claimant doth hereby wholly discontinue this suit against the 1st-6th defendants.”
However, in a statement, titled, “Court did not refuse Prof. Ogundipe’s case,” Adegboruwa explained that the embattled VC took the decision to drop the suit “upon detailed consultation with all stakeholders and his supporters in and outside the University.”
Adegboruwa said, “Prof. Ogundipe directed his lawyers to file a notice of discontinuance of the suit and this has been done on August 21, 2020.
“This is to defer to the authority of the President as the Visitor of the University as Prof. Ogundipe has enough time to challenge his purported removal.”
Adegboruwa stated that the National Industrial Court, which he earlier approached, had neither sat nor conducted any proceedings in respect of the court case.
Ogundipe was last Wednesday purportedly removed as UNILAG VC by the institution’s Council, chaired by Babalakin.
Adegboruwa’s statement said: “Contrary to the falsehood being peddled by mischief makers, the National Industrial Court has never sat or conduct any proceedings in respect of the court case filed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwole Ogundipe.
“No court proceedings ever took place at all and so no decision or ruling has been rendered by the court.
“Indeed, upon detailed consultation with all stakeholders and his supporters in and outside the University, Professor Ogundipe directed his Lawyer’s to file a notice of discontinuance of the suit and this has been done on August 21, 2020.
“This is to defer to the authority of the President as the Visitor of the University as Professor Ogundipe has enough time to challenge his purported removal.
“This falsehood is being spread to malign the court and blackmail the judiciary by enemies of the rule of law and due process.
“The general public is therefore advised to discountenance these mindless fabrications as the handiwork of those who are afraid of subjecting their illegal acts to the true test of probity and to be wary of fake news being peddled in place of truth, especially as they relate to deliberate manipulation of court proceedings.
“There was no time that the court sat to fix any date for the case.”
