The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria has reacted to the sacking of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Olawatoyin Ogundipe, describing it as “a funny situation.
It would be recalled that the rift between the Vice-Chancellor and the Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, came to a head-on Wednesday as the Council announced the removal from office of the VC after a meeting held in Abuja.
It was gathered that 12 members of the Council were present at the meeting and seven voted for the VC’s removal, four voted against and one voted that he be placed on suspension.
The University of Lagos Act 1962, stipulates a 14-member Governing Council to comprise the Pro-Chancellor, Chancellor, the VC, the two Deputy Vice-Chancellors, a representative of the Ministry of Education, one person representing a variety of interests.
Others are four persons appointed by the Senate of the University, two persons appointed by the Congregation and one person appointed by Convocation.
The Council, in a statement signed by the Registrar/ Secretary to the Council, Oladejo Azeez, said Ogundipe was removed from office based on alleged wrongdoing.
The statement was titled “Notice to the general public on the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos.”
The statement read,” The general public is hereby notified that at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, 12th August 2020 and in accordance with the statutory powers vested in it by law, the Governing Council of the University of Lagos removed Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS, from office as the Vice-Chancellor of the university with immediate effect.
“The decision was based on Council’s investigations of serious acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness and abuse of office against Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS.
“Thank you.”
But the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria while reacting through the Secretary-General of CVCUN, Prof. Yakubu Aboki Ochefu, in Abuja, said that the abrupt sacking of Ogundipe did not follow due process.
While calling on the Governing Council of UNILAG to follow due process in the removal, the organisation said the embattled Ogundipe should be given the opportunity to defend himself.
The committee said the law establishing universities gives the GC the power to hire and fire a Vice Chancellor but not in an arbitrary process.
Speaking on the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor, the CVC Secretary-General, said the appointment will pose another problem to the university.
He explained that the extant laws of the University states that if a Vice Chancellor is removed, one of the deputies should be appointed to act.
“The council has gone ahead to announce a new VC; the extant laws state that one of his Deputies should be appointed to act, UNILAG has three Deputy Vice Chancellors, none of them was appointed as the acting VC and somebody else entirely was appointed.
“This is going to pose another problem because the Senate will not allow such a person to chair their meeting because they don’t know him within the context of laws establishing Universities,” he said.
On the GC’s position and the Vice Chancellor’s claims, Ocheku said the situation presently favoured the University Senate which is seeking procedural process.
“It is a funny situation, the VC is saying, ‘yes you have the power to remove me, but you have to do it properly; as far as I am concern as you have not remove me’, the GC is saying, ‘we have removed you.”
He lamented that the situation describing it as unhealthy for a University of such calibre or any other University in Nigeria.
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