Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: Wale Babalakin

  • UNILAG VC spent unapproved N120m, his sack legal –  says Babalakin

    UNILAG VC spent unapproved N120m, his sack legal –  says Babalakin

    Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Dr. Wale Babalakin has asserted that the embattled Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe was legally removed by the Governing Council of the institution.

    Dr. Babalakin reiterated the position of the council, which he chairs, on Monday when he was a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, monitored by Echotitbits.

    “First, let me repeat that the Council complied with due process in the removal of Professor Toyin Ogundipe.

    “I’ve heard a lot of comments on all media. And these comments ignore a fundamental fact – Ogundipe has not denied any wrongdoing. He has not said that he did not spend N120 million renovating the residence of himself and two of his cronies without mentioning it to anybody. It was discovered. It was not mentioned, it was not prevented and there was no approval. That is patent illegality. And he has not denied it.

    READ ALSO:

    How Babalakin orchestrates UNILAG VC controversial ‘sack’ and the backlash

    “In fact, he concealed it until two-and-a-half years after Council came in, when, a (Professor Omoleyinwa) report found out that he had concealed information and had presented what is not a budget as a budget.

    Babalakin maintained Ogundipe’s sack by the University’s Governing Council last week was legal as the VC has not denied any of the allegations leveled against him while he only rejected the decision, claiming the process was not fair and did not follow due process.

    READ ALSO: Babalakin-led Governing Council sacks UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ogundipe

    “Ogundipe has not denied that he created something very new in the University – the concept of security votes. Or he continued it – I don’t know when it started. But he paid security votes, which is money that requires no account in the University. He has not denied it.

    “Ogundipe has not denied that he forged documents, in trying to present a candidate for the Director of Works. He was Chairman of the Committee and he was told to collate results. When he collated results, the second became first, first became second, he never denied it. On the floor of the Council – and it’s in the minutes – he did not have any comments about it.

    “Ogundipe has not, till today, been able to present a proper account of the University. Three sets of people have looked at the account; none have said that the accounts represent a fair representation of the University’s financial position.

    “Ogundipe unilaterally sought to appoint a Professor into the University. This is the worst scandal in academia. He sent me a memo that I should approve that the Librarian becomes a professor. I am familiar with University systems. You just don’t become a Professor. You must go through the process and then it comes to the Council for confirmation.”

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    However, last week, the University’s Senate and labour unions kicked against the Ogundipe’s sack by the Babalakin-led Governing Council on the grounds that the Vice-Chancellor’s removal contravened the University’s laid down procedures.

    Also, the alumni association of the University of Lagos on Saturday called on the institution’s council to rescind the sack and follow due process.

  • Unilag VC’s removal lacks due process – Vice Chancellors tell Babalakin-led council

    Unilag VC’s removal lacks due process – Vice Chancellors tell Babalakin-led council

    The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Universities (CVC) on Friday condemned the controversial sack of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (Unilag), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.

    According to the committee’s Secretary-General, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, the sack of Ogundipe was without due process.

    The CVC also condemned the appointment of an acting vice chancellor outside the university’s three deputy Vice-Chancellors, said Prof. Ochefu.

    “The chairman of the council knows that the tenure of two members of the council has expired, so he waited for the members not to be in council to get the majority vote.

    “It is like a hatchet job, we don’t want it to appear like that because of the integrity of University of Lagos.

    ”The integrity is very high and we don’t want council members to degenerate to that situation.

    ”As it is now, we have a stalemate and it is looking more in favour of the university senate than the council”.

    Recall Echotitbits reported that Unilag’s Governing Council headed by Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN) sackee Ogundipe at its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday over allegations of infractions and gross misconduct.

    While the Babalakim-led council went ahead to appoint Prof. Theophilus Omololu Soyombo of the Faculty of Social Sciences the Acting Vice-Chancellor, the institution’s Senate and all its workers unions have condemned Ogundipe’s removal, saying it flouted the university’s regulations.

    Siting “extant law of the University”, Prof. Ochefu stated thaty if a vice-chancellor is removed, one of the deputies should be appointed to act.

    “Unilag has three deputies, none of them was appointed as acting vice-chancellor but somebody else entirely.

    “This is going to pose another problem, senate members will not allow such a person to chair their meeting because they don’t know him within the context of laws establishing universities,” he said.

    Ochefu however called on the Unilag Governing Council to tow the part of due process, and make room for the Vice Chancellor, Ogundipe to defend himself of allegations leveled against him.

    Ochefu, who stressed that fair hearing remained a fundamental human right, also noted that though the law establishing universities gave the council the power to hire and fire a vice chancellor, it should not be done in an arbitrary process.

    “The challenge we have with this particular action is that the university community says the council did not follow due process; indeed, the communication from the embattled vice chancellor is clear and it is to that effect.

    “In the procedure for removing a vice chancellor, you have to set up a joint council/senate committee.

    ”The vice-chancellor will be given the opportunity to defend himself; from there, a submission will be made to the council which will take a decision,” the CVC Secretary-General said.
    .