Two Senate representatives in the Governing Council of the

University of Lagos, UNILAG have criticized the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Wale Babalakin over his role inthe sack of the Vice-Chancellor, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.  Professor Olukemi Odukoya and Bola Oboh, in different statements, pointed fingers at Babalakin adding that Ogundipe was not given an opportunity to defend himself against accusations of corruption.

 

The statement from Professor Odukoya, addressed to University Senate members, read; "It is with great regret that I announce to you that the Pro-Chancellor has had his way in actualising his machinery to remove the Vice Chancellor." "At today's 12th August 2020, Emergency Meeting of Council in Abuja, Dr Babalakin asked the VC and DVC (DS) to leave the meeting and by vote of 6 to 4, announced that the Vice Chancellor has been removed. Members arise, this is unacceptable. We must defend the Management of the University." 

 

Oboh's statement also read; "Dear Senate members, the University of Lagos regulation has been stepped on and ridiculed. Babawale Babalakin, the Pro-Chancellor waited for the tenure of Prof. Chukwu and Prof. Familoni to end, to call an Emergency Council meeting." "Based on the Dagari report, without allowing the VC defend himself, the ProChancellor called for a vote for the removal of the VC. I (Prof. Oboh), Prof. Odukoya, Prof. Leshi and John Momoh voted against the removal of the VC. Six persons (excluding Babalakin) voted for. Babalakin then went ahead to announce the removal of the VC."

"Dear Senate members, the procedure for removal of persons in office is clear and this was pointed out to Babalakin several times but he turned deaf ears. He said he will announce the Ag. Vice-Chancellor at 5 pm. I have excused myself that I need to report to Senate members the shameful act currently ongoing. Please let us arise to fight this." Odukoya and Oboh voted against Ogundipe's removal.

 

The sacked Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, has dropped a lawsuit he filed at the

 National Industrial Court to challenge his sacking by the varsity’s Governing Council.

 

The suit, marked NICN/LA/278/2020, had as defendants, UNILAG; the varsity’s Council; its Senate; Pro-Chancellor, Dr  Wale Babalakin (SAN); Registrar, Oladejo Azeez; and Prof. Theophilus Soyombo, who was appointed acting VC in the wake of Ogundipe’s controversial sacking. Ogundipe had filed an ex parte application, which was pending for hearing before the court.

But his lawyers, Messrs Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), approached the court on Friday with an  applicationto discontinue the case.

 

The Notice of Discontinuance, filed pursuant to Order 61(1) (1) of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Prpcedure) 2017, simply read, “Take Notice that the claimant doth hereby wholly discontinue this suit against the 1st-6th defendants.”

 

However, in a statement, titled, “Court did not refuse Prof. Ogundipe’s case,” Adegboruwa explained that the embattled VC took the decision to drop the suit “upon detailed consultation with all stakeholders and his supporters in and outside the University.”

Adegboruwa said, “Prof. Ogundipe directed his lawyers to file a notice of discontinuance of the suit and this has been done on August 21, 2020.

 

“This is to defer to the authority of the President as the Visitor of the University as Prof. Ogundipe has enough time to challenge his purported removal.”