By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The era of Dr. Wale Babalakin as chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) may be coming to an end as the Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of John Momoh, Chairman of Channels Television, as acting Chairman of the Council.
Director of Press and Information in the ministry, Bem Goong, confirmed this morning that Momoh has been named acting Chairman.
“It is confirmed, John Momoh is now Acting Council Chair,” he said .
Momoh takes over from the embattled Babalakin who the Federal Government asked last week to recuse himself along with the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, following the setting up of Special Visitation Panel to look into the crisis rocking the ivory tower.
Babalakin and Ogundipe have been embroiled in a power tussle that culminated in the sacking of the Vice Chancellor by the Babalakin-led Council and appointment of an acting Vice Chancellor.
But the Federal Government stepped in on Tuesday and asked both men to step aside.
Momoh, who is the President of the UNILAG Alumni Association, is a member of the Council representing the association.
A letter addressed to the ace broadcaster dated August 21, 2020, and signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, said Momoh has been directed to convene an emergency meeting of the Council to “consider and if found suitable, approve the Senate nomination of the acting Vice-Chancellor for the University of Lagos, in line with the enabling Act.”
The letter which is referenced; FME/PS/606/C.I/III/129, is titled; “Emergency Meeting of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos”.
The letter further stated that Momoh was to preside at the meeting in the absence of the substantive pro-chancellor/chairman of council who had recused himself in line with the visitor’s directive.
“You are to also submit a report on the decision of the Council to the visitor through the honourable minister of education immediately thereafter.”
Meanwhile, an emergency governing council meeting will hold on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s planned inauguration of the visitation panel to the university earlier set up by the visitor, President Muhammadu Buhari.