*Management members Lambast Wale Babalakin for Allegedly Over-stepping Bound…
By Shakirudeen Bankole
Wild jubilation erupted among the senior management staff of the University of Lagos over the reinstatement of the institution’s suspended Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
Months after Ogundipe’s appointment was controversially terminated by the then Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Dr. Wale Babalakin, over allegation of mismanagement and abuse of power, among others, President Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered his reinstatement with immediate effect.
His reinstatement followed the recommendation of a Panel of Inquiry setup to investigate the controversy, which pitched the Senate of the School, its highest decision making arm against the office of the Pro-Chancellor and the academic and non-academic management staff.
Though Ogundipe was not completely absolved of all the allegations leveled against him, but in the Panel’s report, it was discovered that he was not given fair hearing before he was summarily removed.
Buhari ordered his reinstatement Wednesday, with immediate effect, prompting a rare jubilation especially amongst the senior management staffs.
His reinstatement appears to have also vindicated the antagonists of the now sacked pro-Chancellor, most of whom happens to be the senior management staff and people who despised Babalakin and hold him in contempt.
“Babalakin has clearly overstepped his boundary by plotting the removal of a validly installed Vice Chancellor. That is the highest height insubordination can get.
“I am saying that because this man is a known loyalist to the former government at the national level, which happens to the PDP. And the approval of his appointment should have been executed diligently and quietly without any controversy whatsoever,” a senior management staff told The New Diplomat in confidence.
Another respondent, one of the school’s Head of Departments, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that “the entire senior management cadre of UNILAG are happy about the reinstatement of Prof. Ogundipe.
“This is because Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe was asked to recuse himself after his appointment was terminated by the Pro Chancellor Wale Babalakin. The Senate of the University complained to President Buhari, who is the Visitor to the University. Buhari set up a panel and in the interim asked that the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services), Prof Sade Ogunsola was asked to act. This was well detailed in the panel’s white paper, released on Tuesday 10/10/2020,” the source explained.
Reacting to the announcement, a statement issued Thursday and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ben-Bem Goong, amplified the panel’s report.
“The highlights of the findings and recommendations approved by Mr. President are as follows:
i) The removal of Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor did not follow due process.
“(ii) The Vice Chancellor was not granted an opportunity to defend himself on the allegations upon which his removal was based. He should accordingly be re-instated.
“(iii) All allegations made against the Vice Chancellor and the management of the University before and after the Constitution of the Special Visitation Panel should be referred to regular Visitation Panel for thorough investigation and necessary recommendations.
“(iv) The process adopted by the Council in the appointment of Professor Omololu Soyombo as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University was inconsistent with the provisions of the Law relating to the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor.
“(v) The Governing Council should be dissolved.
“Mr. President after careful review of the report has approved all the recommendations of the Panel.
Accordingly: i) Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe is hereby reinstated as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
“(ii) The Governing Council of the University of Lagos Chaired by Dr. B. O. Babalakin is hereby dissolved. Mr. President hopes these steps will bring peace, stability, focus and direction to the University.”
