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By Gabriel Dike
The selection process for the 9th vice-chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) has started in earnest with the election of three professors in the Joint Committee of Council and Senate for the appointment of a substantive VC.
Members of Senate of LASU last week voted and elected three professors to represent it on the joint Committee.
The voting and election of the three professors is a clear departure of what transpired under the former VC, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, in that a clear cut election table time was released ahead of the election.
The election of three professors is one of the reasons; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu set up the special visitation panel, cancelled the first and second selection exercises for lack of transparency and non-compliance with the laid rules and tradition of the Nigerian University System.
The Education Report gathered that attempts were made to depart from the established tradition of elections in LASU but the acting registrar learning from past mistakes stood his ground. He ensured that due process was followed with the announcement of the vacancy, collection of forms and display of voters list.
It was further gathered that the Senate election of three professors into the selection Committee was a straight battle between the Fagbohun group led by the Liberators and the recognized Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). It was also an opportunity for aspirants to test their acceptability.
Unlike previous exercise which was conducted virtually, last week election was done physically and nomination followed due process.
At the end of the election, Prof. Joseph Olagunju, from Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Prof. Adenike Boyo, Dean of Faculty of Science and former acting VC, Prof. Fidelis Njonkama from LASU College of Medicine were elected to represent the Senate in the selection committee.
Again, another departure from the previous exercise, eleven professors collected and contested the election into the selection committee. The Education Report learnt that 178 Senate members were accredited to vote and two voided votes were recorded.
Prof. Olagunju, current Dean, Postgraduate School recorded the highest votes of 100, followed by Prof. Boyo from Department of Physics Department, she scored 77 while former Deputy VC, Prof. Njonkama, got 74 votes.
Other results are Prof. Ayodeji Abari, 1, Prof. Julius Ajayi, 34, Prof. Oluranti Ogunbiyi, 32, Prof. Rafiu Okuneye, 38, Prof. Bolanle Ola, 71, Prof. Adetunji Olaoye, 4, Prof. Akeeb Oyefolu, 61 and Prof. Mubashiru Mohammed, 17.
Recalled that earlier this year, the concerned stakeholders of LASU in a petition to the visitor, alleged plan by the then outgone VC to manipulate the election of three Senate members into the Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee for the VC.
In the petition to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the group alleged the former VC by-passed the proper process of electing three Senate members into the Joint Council and Senate selection Committee for the appointment of a substantive VC.
“It is curious that the VC wants the election process of the Senate to be done virtually when the school claims it is ready to reopen and has been certified by the government.”
In swift reaction then, Prof. Fagbohun described the author of the petition as faceless and that they are not staff of the institution. He said the university has held several virtual meetings, including public lectures and was successful.
