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Gabriel Dike and Chinelo Obogo
Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr. Wale Babalakin on Friday opened up on why the Vice Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe was removed from office.
Babalakin who spoke at a briefing at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, said the removal of Prof Ogundipe as VC followed due process in line with the university act.
He also denied that a Senate meeting of UNILAG held on Thursday, noting, under the law, only the VC can summon a meeting of Senate. He stated that as at the time Ogundipe conveyed the meeting, he was no longer the VC. His words: “The confusion is that most people don’t know how governing council operates. There was full compliance of the law in the removal of Prof Ogundipe. The issue has been lingering for a long time. Series of attempt were made to reconcile but the VC was not forthcoming.
“Ogundipe has been looting and misappropriating the university fund. He forged documents during interview for director of works. One person from Lagos State Polytechnic came first and the VC changed it to his preferred applicant. He didn’t know that two council members in the selection committee took photograph of the results. The person nominated by Ogundipe has been indicted.”
Babalakin explained that there is no crisis in UNILAG, adding “what we have is a vocal minority, who are benefitting from the corruption in UNILAG which has become cultural.” According to him, the council is determined to rid UNILAG of corruption and revealed further that Ogundipe was not the only person indicted by the committee. “Due process was followed in the removal of Ogundipe. After the council committee indicted the VC, he wrote his defence in May and spoke for one hour. His sack was done in accordance with UNILAG law”
“Go and read the law, what the law says is that when a Vice Chancellor is removed and you have a complaint, you will write an appeal to the visitor. He cannot on his own, declare that he has not been removed as Ogundipe has done. He cannot on his own confront his employers. In law, he has resigned because if you challenge your employer and you are still in his employment, you have actually left.
“The weakness of Ogundipe is that his legal advisers have not done a very thorough job. There is no stalemate and there is no chaos in the university because the law would take its course. It is not in the place of the removed VC to say he has not been removed. He cannot be a judge in his own court. One of the things that was found in the committee report is that Ogundipe spent N49m renovating his official residence without following due process and authorisation from the council. To cover up himself, he also gave the bursar N41m to renovate his official residence. The official residence of the bursar can be built with N41m from start to finish but that was the amount he gave just for renovation.
“Investigation also found out that he exceeded his authority in financial management. You would not believe that Ogundipe was paying security votes to the Dean of Student Affairs without authorisation. Is he a governor? Even the budget of Unilag is not a true and fair account of the finances of the university. We discovered that the account of the university was in tatters. A member of council paid money to bring in a consultant to look at the account to make it presentable and what he reported was disturbing. He said the account of the university doesn’t even exist.”
Prof Ogundipe has however denied the allegations and has vowed to challenge his removal in the court.
