UNILAG Crisis: Babalakin Justifies Ogundipe’s Removal

Matilda Omonaiye/

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr Wale Babalakin, has defended the decision of the council to sack the institution’s vice chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.

Speaking yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2) on his arrival in Lagos, after attending the institution’s governing council meeting in Abuja, Babalakin accused Ogundipe of looting the university’s treasury “recklessly.”

The UNILAG governing council had on Wednesday announced Ogundipe’s sacking and appointed Prof. Theophilus Soyombo as acting vice chancellor.

Further justifying Ogundipe’s removal, Babalakin said, “Without mentioning to anybody, Ogundipe spent N49m renovating his official house; he sought no approval for this. To cover it up, he gave the bursar N41m to renovate his official residence. An investigation found out that he exceeded his authority. He was paying security vote to the Dean of Students’ Affairs without anyone authorising it.”

Also, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has distanced itself from the solidarity protest by its acting Chairman of UNILAG chapter, Olusola Sowunmi, on Ogundipe’s sacking.

Sowunmi was said to have participated in the joint meeting of UNILAG-based unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities in the condemnation of the removal of Ogundipe by the Babalakin-led governing council, describing it as “unjust, ungodly and illegal.”

But the UNILAG SSANU executive, in a statement, yesterday, by its acting Secretary, Feyisetan Olaoluwa, condemned Sowunmi for joining in the protest, saying that the entire scenario was political.

The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria has, however, faulted Ogundipe’s sacking.

The committee, which was once chaired by Babalakin, noted that Ogundipe’s removal didn’t follow due process.

While calling on the UNILAG governing council to follow due process in Ogundipe’s removal, the committee said the embattled vice chancellor should be given an opportunity to defend himself.

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