UNILAG crisis: Pro-chancellor, Babalakin, resigns as panel submits report

The embattled pro-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Wale Babalakin, has resigned following his dissatisfaction with the outcome of the Special Presidential Visitation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the crisis rocking the institution.

Babalakin’s resignation was contained in a letter dated September 15th addressed to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

Babalakin and the former vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe were last month directed to recuse themselves over the crisis caused by the removal of the vice-chancellor the governing council.

In his resignation letter, Babalakin alleged that the outcome of the visitation panel set was predetermined and that the issues were not approached objectively.

He also alleged that the visitation panel was raised to exonerate the vice chancellor and implicate him.

His resignation came after the visitation panel had formally submitted its report to the minister.

The panel was constituted to look into the remote causes that culminated in the removal of the vice chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin

Ogundipe

The panel was to examine the steps taken by the institution’s governing council leading to the removal of the vice chancellor and ascertaining whether due process was followed as stipulated in the Universities (Amendment) Act, 2003 and the principle of fair hearing adhered to.

The panel had a two-week time frame to complete its assignment following its inauguration on August 26, 2020.

Adamu, who refused to divulge the content in the report, said “We’ll take a decision after considering the report. I’m very happy to learn that the panel worked very hard within the two weeks given to it in order to arrive at recommendations which I hope will assist the visitor in taking an informed decision to solve the lingering crisis.”

“The visitor of the university after due consideration of their report will take a decision on the matter as appropriate in order to resolve this and produce a learning atmosphere in the university of Lagos and the university system as a whole,” he said.

He, however, commended the panel for taking out time to look into the crisis while assuring that the decision would be subjected to close scrutiny and justice in all areas.