Ololade Adeyanju/
Lawyers representing Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe in the disputed University of Lagos Vice-Chancellor case have drawn public attention to falsehood being peddled on the state of the matter at the National Industrial Court.
According to the lawyers, Professor Ogundipe has discontinued the suit challenging his ‘removal’ as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos in deference to the authority of President Muhammadu Buhari as the varsity’s Visitor.
According to a statement by a member of his legal team, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, 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 businessman, Wale Babalakin.
Adegboruwa stated: “Contrary to the falsehood being peddled by mischief makers, the National Industrial Court has never sat or conducted any proceedings in respect of the court case filed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin 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.”
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