- We have not been briefed, says FG
By Our Correspondent
The last may not have been heard of the leadership tussle at the University of Lagos following the sacking of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olawatoyin Ogundipe, by the Governing Council on Wednesday.
The sack was announced at a meeting of the Council held at the National Universities Commission in Abuja
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 purported removal from office was announced in a statement by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mr. Oladejo Azeez, in a statement titled: Notice to the General Public on the removal of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
The Council said its decision was based on gross misconduct, financial recklessness among others.
But firing back on Wednesday, the embattled Vice Chancellor insisted he remained in office, asserting that his purported removal was a figment of imagination of those who plotted it.
In a statement titled: “Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos by Oladejo Azeez, Esq” Ogundipe said:
“The attention of the University of Lagos (Unilag) management has been drawn to the ‘Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos’; dated August 12, 2020 and signed by Oladejo Azeez, Esq, Registrar and Secretary to Council, stating that the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS has been removed from office with immediate effect.
“This is untrue and a figment of his imagination. Therefore, stakeholders of UNILAG and the general public are advised to disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting Vice Chancellor of Unilag, contained in that notice. Professor Ogundipe still remains UNILAG’s Vice Chancellor.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) said it has not been briefed on the purported removal of Prof Ogundipe from office by Governing Council of the university.
Spokesperson of the FMoE, Ben Goong, said this in a statement in Abuja.
The statement noted that while the ministry awaits proper briefing from the university authorities, it must be reaffirmed that council has the power to hire and fire.
The statement however said that due process must be followed in doing so.
It reads: “My dear colleagues, the Federal Ministry of Education wishes to state that it is yet to be briefed on the developments at the University of Lagos regarding the purported removal of the VC.
“While the Ministry awaits for the proper briefing from the university authorities, it is important to reaffirm that council has the power to hire and fire but that due process must be followed in doing so.”