UNILAG’s acting vice chancellor steps down

The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Theophilus O. Soyombo, has stepped down, 10 days after his appointment by the governing council of the institution.

Professor Soyombo in a statement yesterday said his decision to step up followed the directive by the federal government asking the university’s senate to nominate an acting vice chancellor for the university for confirmation by the governing council.

The governing council led by Wale Babalakin had at an emergency meeting on August 12, 2020 removed Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe from office as vice chancellor with immediate effect, accusing him of wrong doing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness and abuse of office.

Following Ogundipe’s removal, the governing council announced Professor Soyombo of the Faculty of Social Sciences as the acting VC. Though, Prof. Ogundipe had described his purported removal as illegal, the council’s action generated mixed reactions from different quarters.

Intervening in the crisis, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday directed the pro-chancellor and vicechancellor of the university to step aside while a special panel investigates the crisis in the university.

The president also directed the senate of the university to convene to nominate an acting vice-chancellor from among its members for the confirmation of the university’s council while he gave the special visitation panel two weeks to submit its report.

He noted that he had accepted the offer to serve as a call to service with the objective of restoring peace and stability in the university. “It is my prayer that the peace and stability that we so much need and desire at this time be restored very quickly, so that the university of Lagos can continue to march on as the University of first choice and the nation’s pride.”