Babalakin-Ogundipe

The leadership crisis which has rocked the highest level of the administration of the University of Lagos has taken on a new twist with the Federal Government directly wading in through the Ministry of Education.

The government has asked both the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin and the embattled Vice-Chancellor, Prof.Oluwatoyin Ogundipe to step aside from performing their official duties for now.

The directive, according to a statement released by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr Ben Goong, will stay until the Special Visitation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the issues completes its work.

Ogundipe was removed from office by the Babalakin-led Governing Council on August 12 over allegations of financial malpractices by the Vice- Chancellor. The Council went on to appoint Prof. Theophilus Omololu Soyombo as Acting Vice-Chancellor.

This action drew the ire of the University Senate and all the worker’s unions in the institution. The Senate claimed that Dr Wale Babalakin and the Governing Council acted beyond their powers by sacking the VC and appointing a new one albeit in acting capacity.

They went on to pass a vote of confidence on Prof. Ogundipe while rejecting the appointment of Prof. Soyombo. The university community vowed not to work with Soyombo.

Apparently emboldened by the opposition the action of Babalakin and the Governing Council had generated, Ogundipe declared that he remained the Vice-Chancellor.

This was the scenario that necessitated President Buhari’s establishment of the Special Invitation Panel.