The Nigerian Government on Wednesday inaugurated the Special Visitation Panel to look into the crisis rocking the University of Lagos following the removal of its Vice Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and the suspension of the Chairman of the University’s Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin.
While the panel is expected to conclude its assignment and submit its report within two weeks, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who inaugurated the panel headed by Prof Tukur Sa’ad on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, warned members against interfering in the activities of the university’s management.
Adamu insisted that like he said about a month ago when he inaugurated the reconstituted governing councils of 13 federal universities, chairmen and members of the council must ensure that they do not interfere with the day-to-day administrative activities of their respective university managements.
Expressing discontent over UNILAG’s crisis, the minister noted that the face-off had lingered in spite of several interventions by leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education, stakeholders and National Universities Commission leading to the removal of the VC by the governing council during its meeting on August 12, 2020.
Adamu said that rather than stabilising the situation, the appointment of an acting VC further worsened the crisis, prompting President Buhari to set up the visitation panel.
