Pro-Chancellor, Wale Babalakin addressed the press on August 14,
2020.
Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Wale
Babalakin on Friday insisted that the sacking of Professor
Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as the school’s Vice-Chancellor by the
Governing Council was fair and followed due process.
Some union members at the University had marched with Ogundipe
on Thursday, protesting his sack as Vice-Chancellor, saying it did
not follow due process.
The University’s Senate, after an emergency meeting on Thursday,
also rejected the Vice-Chancellor’s sack and passed vote-of-no
confidence on the Governing Council.
READ ALSO: Union Members March With Embattled
Unilag Vice-Chancellor
“Due process was not followed,” the Senate said in its
resolution.
However, at the Friday press briefing held in Lagos, Babalakin
re-affirmed the Governing Council’s decision and accused Ogundipe
of looting the University’s resources.
“The Senate did not have a meeting, because it could not have
had one,” he said. “The authority to call a meeting rests with the
Vice-Chancellor and, as at the time he called the meeting, he was
no longer Vice-Chancellor.
“Most people don’t know what the powers of the Council are
vis-à-vis the removal of the Vice-Chancellor.
“I assure you that there was full compliance with the law in the
removal of the Vice-Chancellor.”
Babalakin said members of the Council decided to remove Ogundipe
because they “want the best for the university.”
“Series of attempts were made to reconcile, but the plain truth
is that Professor Ogundipe has been looting the University, and
looting it recklessly,” he said. “That’s the plain truth; we
shouldn’t hide it.”
Babalakin further alleged that Ogundipe had been indicted for
forging documents in recruitment processes.
“There is no crisis in Unilag,” he said. “What you have is a
vocal minority benefiting extensively from the resources of the
university.”