The Federal Government, Wednesday night reacted to the ongoing crisis in the University of Lagos (UNILAG) over the sack of the school’s vice-chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, by the governing council.
The Federal Government in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education said the council had the right to fire the vice-chancellor so long as due process was followed.
The statement signed by the Ministry’s spokesman, Ben Goong, read: “My dear colleagues, 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.”
However, the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU took a different view, saying that the council was wrong in its action and lacked the power to remove the VC.
Chairman, of the UNILAG chapter of ASUU, Dr Dele Ashiru, was quoted by Vanguard as saying: “We are following the development. We are aware that the Council relocated to Abuja to meet. The Council does not have the constitutional powers to sack the Vice-Chancellor. We will react appropriately when things become clear.”
Recall that the school’s Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mr. Oladejo Azeez, had earlier on Wednesday announced the removal of Ogundipe as Vice Chancellor of the university.
READ ALSO: UNILAG Insists Ogundipe Still In Charge As VC
In a public notice announcing the removal, Azeez had said: “Notice to the general public on the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos.”
“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.”
Ogundipe’s ‘removal’ had reportedly followed a vote by council members at a meeting held in Abuja where seven of the council members voted for his removal, four voted against while one voted for his suspension.
Ogundipe was said to have been present at the meeting.
In its reaction to the development, UNILAG authorities in a statement signed by Ogundipe himself, insisted that he was still in charge.
Ogundipe described his supposed removal as untrue and figment of the Registrar’s imagination.
