UNILAG Governing Council Meeting Moved to Abuja Amid Lingering Dispute

Malik Yahya/

The governing council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has directed its members to attend a special meeting in Abuja after it was postponed indefinitely a month ago when it would have been held on the campus in Lagos.

The emergency meeting which is holding from August 12 to 14 at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission was earlier scheduled to hold between July 13 and 15 at its usual venue of the governing council chamber at the institution’s main campus in Akoka, Lagos.

It was earlier indicated that the new venue would be Fraiser Suites Hotel in Abuja before it was shifted to the National Universities Commission premises at 26, Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Abuja.

The governing council led by Dr Wale Babalakin has been battling with internal wranglings among stakeholders, especially the perennial conflicts between the chairman and the leadership of the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The notice of the meeting signed by the university’s registrar, Oladejo Azeez, and dated August 10, says the emergency meeting was sanctioned by Babalakin in response to a request by the vice-chancellor, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, via a letter dated July 15, and addressed to the council chairman.

The notice directed council members who could not be physically present at the meeting to participate virtually. It, however, added that such decisions should be communicated to the registrar before 10 a.m.on Tuesday for logistic reasons.

The notice reads in part; “Pursuant to Order 16 of the council standing orders, 2019, and in line with the current dispensation of COVID-19, members are free to opt for physical attendance or virtual participation in the meeting.

“Please be assured that for those attending physically, the protocol on social distancing will be strictly adhered to.”

Some of the issues listed on the agenda of the proposed meeting include the approval of the university’s 2020 budget estimates, advertisement for needs assessment intervention fund, university’s COVID-19 action plan, outstanding reports of council subcommittees, pending matters and requests.

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