The Interview Editors
The Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) led by its Chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin, has voted to sack the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
A statement by the registrar and secretary to the Council, Oladejo Azeez, on Wednesday said the VC was removed with immediate effect because of gross misconduct, financial recklessness among others.
The statement said, “The decision was based on the Council’s investigation of serious acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness, and abuse of office against Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe.”
Though the emergency meeting of the council was yet to be adjourned, media reports already suggested Ogundipe maybe on his way out.
The meeting controversially held at the secretariat of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja, after being rescheduled twice with changes in venue.
The emergency meeting was initially scheduled to hold months earlier at the university in Lagos but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then timed from Wednesday, August 12 to Friday, August 14 at Fraiser Suites, Central Business District, Abuja.
At the eleventh hour, it was moved to NUC in Maitmam, Abuja where both the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor were asked to leave the meeting so as to consider the fifth agenda, which had been pushed forward ahead of the first four agenda.
The agenda was the approval of the investigative reports set up by the council to audit the university’s expenditure for several months.
Shortly afterwards, Babalakin asked the remaining seven members to vote via WhatsApp for the sack of the VC, effectively sealing his fate.
