By Felix Khanoba
Uncertainty has continued to trail the purported removal from office of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
The Governing Council of the University had on Wednesday in a statement from the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mr. Oladejo Azeez, announced the unceremonious removal of the VC.
But just a few hours after the sack decision was conveyed to newsmen, a statement from the office of the VC dismissed the alleged sack as untrue.
The governing council had hinged the removal of the VC from office on issues bordering on gross misconduct, financial recklessness, among others
“The general public is hereby notified that at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday 12 August 2020 and in accordance with the statutory power vested in it by law, the Governing Council of the University of Lagos removed Prof. Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS from office as Vice Chancellor of the University with immediate effect.
“The decision was based on the Council’s investigation of serious acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness, and abuse of office against Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe,” the statement said.
In counter statement, entitled ‘Re: Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos by Oladejo Azeez’, Prof. Ogundipe denied the validity of the decision, saying he remains the institution’s VC.
His statement read: “The attention of the University of Lagos management has been drawn to the ‘Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos’; dated August 12, 2020 and signed by Oladejo Azeez, Esq, Registrar and Secretary to Council, stating that the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS has been removed from office with immediate effect.
“This is untrue and a figment of his imagination. Therefore, stakeholders of UNILAG and the general public are advised to disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting Vice Chancellor of UNILAG contained in that notice. Professor Ogundipe still remains UNILAG’s Vice Chancellor.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education said it is not yet aware of the removal of the VC from office.
“The Federal Ministry of Education wishes to state that it is yet to be briefed on the developments at the University of Lagos regarding the purported removal of the VC.
“While the Ministry awaits for the proper briefing from the University authorities, it is important to reaffirm that Council has the power to hire and fire,but that due process must be followed in doing so,” a terse statement by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Ben Bem Goong, said.
