UNILAG crisis: Ousted, Ag VC stay away from office
Neither the ousted Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe nor Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Theophilus Soyombo showed up in the Vice Chancellor’s office on the 12th floor of the Senate building of the institution on Monday.
This was despite both laying claims to the position.null
Since Ogundipe’s removal was announced last Wednesday, he has challenged the institution’s Governing Council, claiming he was still Vice-Chancellor.
On the other hand, Soyombo, a Consultant Sociologist from the Faculty of Social Sciences, told The Nation last Friday he had accepted the position and resumed office.
However, the office was still unoccupied on Monday.
When The Nation visited, the campus was quiet – though there were two police vans stationed at the gate and patrolling the Senate building and the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Visitors to the Senate Building and the Faculty of Social Sciences were subjected to extra questioning before being allowed or declined entry.
When journalists learnt Soyombo was not in the Senate building, he was traced to his department, Sociology, in the Faculty of Social Sciences.
However, no one was allowed to see him. He was said to be in a meeting.
One Mr. Odetola Philips, who claimed to be his Personal Assistant, later told journalists the Ag. Vice-Chancellor would speak to the press on Wednesday.
“He is in a meeting. He will address journalists on Wednesday,” he said.
The workers’ unions – Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non- Academic Staff Union (NASU) were however adamant due process was not followed in Ogundipe’s removal.
They also said have not accepted the appointment of an Ag. Vice Chancellor, which they said did not also follow due process.
ASUU Chairman, Dr. Dele Ashiru said the Federal Government needs to step in to correct the anomalies.
“The position of our congress is that the procedures for the removal of the vice chancellor and indeed the appointment of an acting vice chancellor have not been obeyed.
“To that extent, it becomes difficult for us to come to terms and accept that term Acting Vice Chancellor. Until the visitor to the university through the honourable minister of education makes a pronouncement on this matter, the status quo remains.
“The power of the governing council to make any pronouncement is vested in this same law that is being trampled upon, and to that extent it does not have the legitimacy and indeed the legality to confer on any individual on this campus that title Acting Vice Chancellor. And that is the position of Senate,” he said.
The Nation
