The University of Lagos (UNILAG) Governing Council has named Prof. Theophilus Soyombo as the acting vice-chancellor of the institution after announcing the removal of Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
The announcement of Soyombo as the VC was contained in a statement issued at 12:05 am on Thursday by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Oladejo Azeez.
He advised the public to totally disregard the statement attributed to Ogundipe denying his removal.
“Members of the public are hereby advised to totally disregard the statement attributed to the said former vice chancellor. The position remains that he was lawfully removed by the Governing Council at a meeting fully attended by all Council members,” the statement read.
“I also wish to use the opportunity to inform members of the public that Council at the said meeting duly appointed Professor Theophilus Omololu Soyombo of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos as Vice Chancellor of the university in an acting capacity.”
Ogundipe’s removal as the vice chancellor was announced after a meeting of the council held on Wednesday at the National Universities Commission in Abuja.
But Ogundipe insisted in a statement that he remained the vice-chancellor.
The latest development comes as part of the crisis between the Wale Babalakin-led governing council and the Ogundipe-led management.
Babalakin is the chairman of the UNILAG Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, UNILAG branch and the school’s Senate have both condemned the purported removal of the institution’s vice chancellor.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government distanced itself from the purported removal in a statement by spokesman of the Federal Ministry of Education Ben Bem Goong.
The ministry said while it was awaiting proper briefing from UNILAG authorities, it was important to reaffirm that the council had the power to hire and fire, but must follow due process.
