… Rejects Shoyombo as Acting VC
THE Senate of the University of Lagos, on Thursday, called for the immediate dissolution of the Dr. Wale Babalakin-led Governing Council of the institution.
The Senate, at an emergency meeting, passed a vote of no confidence on the Governing Council and rejected the appointment of Prof. Theophilus Shoyombo as the Vice Chancellor of UNILAG.
In its resolution at the end of the meeting, made available to The Point, the Senate also rejected the “purported removal” of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and reaffirmed its confidence in him as the substantive VC of the University of Lagos.
In the resolution, signed by the Chairman of the Senate Emergency Meeting, Prof. Chioma Agomo, and five other professors who are members of the Senate, the highest decision making organ of the institution said the action of the Governing Council constituted a violation of Section 3 (8), (9), (10) and (11) of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Act 2003 on the removal of the Vice Chancellor of any Federal University in Nigeria.
They said the Senate “was neither invited to participate nor did it participate in any joint committee of Council and Senate as required by law, noting that “it received the news of the removal of the Vice Chancellor from office from the social media.”
The Senate therefore said, “The purported appointment of an Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos breaches Section 3 (8) (13) of the Act. Due process was not followed in the purported appointment of the Acting Vice Chancellor as the Senate was neither informed nor invited to forward its recommendation to Council.
“Its functions and its powers have been completely appropriated by the Council in breach of the law.”
Other members of the Senate who signed the resolution are: Prof. Dele Olowokudejo, Prof. Oluwole Atoyebi, Prof. Folasade Akinsola, Prof. Lucian Chukwu, and Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa.
Meanwhile, the Acting VC appointed by the Council told a section of the media that he had already resumed as VC.
With stiff opposition by all the industrial unions of the University, and the vote of no confidence passed against the council by the highest decision making organ of the institution, Shoyombo’s claim may be the beginning of a major crisis at the University of Lagos.
