Education, Featured
AT last, normalcy seems to be returning to the University of Lagos following the election of Professor Folasade Ogunsola as acting vice-chancellor of the university. The Senate of the institution elected Ogunsola on Monday, August 24, after the federal government asked them to reconvene to appoint an acting VC.
Ogunsola got 135 votes to beat Prof. Ben Ogbojafor, another contender, who scored 31, to emerge as the vice chancellor. One vote was voided out of a total of 167.
According to Wikipedia, Ogunsola, who was the deputy vice-chancellor, Development Services at the university before her emergence, was born in 1958. She is a professor of Medical Microbiology who specialises in disease control, particularly HIV/AIDS.
Realnews earlier reported that the federal government had on Friday, August 21, directed Wale Babalakin, pro-chancellor of the university and Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, embattled vice-chancellor, to recuse themselves from official duties pending the outcome of the Special Visitation Panel set up by the President Muhammadu Buhari.
The current crisis in the institution started when the Governing Council, headed by Babalakin, removed Ogundipe at its meeting in Abuja on August 12, over allegations of infractions and gross misconduct. The council also appointed Prof. Theophilus Soyombo as the acting vice-chancellor.
However, the institution’s Senate and all its workers unions condemned Ogundipe’s removal, saying it flouted the university’s regulations. They all made a vote of confidence on Ogundipe and vowed not to recognise the acting vice-chancellor.
Realnews recalls that there has been a supremacy battle between Babalakin and the university management led by Ogundipe over the lined-up programmes for the institution’s 51st convocation ceremony earlier scheduled in March. The federal government suspended the event indefinitely. Their disagreement started over the choice of the guest speaker at the convocation.
The school had initially settled for a former Ghanaian president as the speaker for the convocation lecture who later wrote to express his unavailability during the period. It was based on the development that the management settled for the communications minister.
But the Babalakin-led council faulted the university’s choice of a guest speaker without the knowledge of the council. They also could not agree on the awardees meant to be conferred with honorary degrees.
Babalakin had earlier had a running battle with the university management over contracts and projects’ implementation resulting in the indictment of some serving and retired principal officers of the institution.
– Aug. 24, 2020 @ 17:49 GMT |
Tags: Prof. Ogunsola elected as acting vice chancellor of UNILAG
