UNILAG Senate Appoints New Acting Vice Chancellor

 

The Senate of the University of Lagos, UNILAG has elected a new acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Folashade Ogunsola, on Monday, to pilot the affairs of the troubled University.

Professor Ogunsola is the first female to be appointed in the history of the 58-year-old institution of learning and research, TheConscience reports.

Prof. Ben Oghojafor, and Professor Folashade, both deputy vice chancellors vied for the exalted position.

Both deputy vice chancellors were nominated at the UNILAG Senate meeting held on Monday and attended by about 167 professors, who voted for their preferred candidate.

At the end of the counting of the votes, Ogunsola emerged the winner and acting vice chancellor with 135 votes to 31 for Oghojafor.

Federal Government had last week directed both Dr Wale Babalakin, the Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, and the suspended Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe to recuse themselves from official duties pending the visit of a special panel.

Read More: UNILAG Crisis: New Revelations Expose Babalakin On Falsified Votes

In a statement issued on Friday to announce the president’s recommendations, the director of press at the federal ministry of education, Ben Goong, said the panel would be inaugurated by the minister, Adamu Adamu, on Wednesday.

Ahead of the panel’s inauguration, the senate was mandated “to immediately convene to nominate an acting vice-chancellor from amongst its members for confirmation by the governing council.”

Read More: UNILAG: “Why Babalakin Wanted VC Out Desperately”- Source

The University of Lagos has recently been embroiled in a battle of supremacy between Ogundipe and Babalakin with the latter suspending the former leading to various allegations, accusations and counter accusations over the legality prompting a staff solidarity rally and official statements from Academic Staff Union of University ASUU, Non Academic Staff Union of University NASU, all in support of Ogundipe.

Following this, the UNILAG Senate had called on the Visitor to dissolve the governing council headed by Babalakin. A call, President Buhari had heeded.