Gabriel Dike
Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has fixed an emergency meeting this week to discuss the contentious report of its committee on the finances of the 57-year-old institution.
At one of its meetings, the Governing Council under the leadership of Dr. Wale Babalakin set up a ten-man committee to look into the finances of UNILAG from 2017 to 2019.
Sunday Sun learned that the decision of Dr. Babalakin to solely implement the report without the inputs of council members generated ripples on campus.
After the submission of the report to Dr. Babalakin, he directed the Registrar, Dr. Oladejo Azeez to issue queries to the Vice Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, current principal officers, former VC, Prof Rahmon Bello, deputy VC, Prof Duro Oni, former bursar, Dr. Taiwo Ipaye, director of academic planning and Internal Auditor without the council meeting to discuss the report.
Others queried are the head of procurement unit, former bursar, two former directors of works, director of UNILAG foundation programme and Dean, students affairs.
Following the outcry against the queries and moves by some internal council members to force a meeting, Dr. Babalakin had to call for an emergency meeting to discuss the report.
A senior management staff told our Corrrespondent that the council meeting has been fixed for Monday and Tuesday, adding “the agenda to discuss are the finance committee report and the actions taken by the council chairman.
“The emergency council meeting will be storming. The entire members will deliberate on the committee’s report and collectively take a decision. This is how it should be, rather than an individual acting alone.
“I can tell you that the governing council is divided into two. Some members including internal members who lost the VC race are backing Babalakin and the other group which include the representative of the Minister of Education are opposed to some of his actions and decisions,” our source explained.
According to the source, the two days council meeting will decide the fate of the VC, Prof Ogundipe, current principal officers and former VC, registrar, bursar as well as academic staff earlier queried by Babalakin.
Sunday Sun learnt that the Minister of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC) and the national body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are watching the unfolding event at UNILAG.
Recalled that ASUU UNILAG branch faulted the unilateral action of the council chairman to act alone on the report and  also decried the queries issued to some of its members without following due process.