Matilda Omonaiye/
Professor Folashade Ogunsola of the College of Medicine and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services at the University of Lagos has been elected by the Senate as the acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university.
At an emergency meeting convened at the university today, Ogunsola polled 135 votes while Professor Ben Oghojafor secured 31 votes. One vote was voided.
The Senate of the University of Lagos had gone ahead to convene the emergency meeting despite the contrary notice given by the Secretary to the suspended Council, Mr Azeez Oladejo, that the council had not convened any Senate meeting.
Oladejo belongs to the camp of the suspended Dr Wale Babalakin-led governing council.
President Muhammadu Buhari as the Visitor to the University, had asked the Senate of the Institution to appoint an Acting VC, amid a bitter war that followed the purported sack of the VC, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe by the Chairman of the governing council, Dr Babalakin.
The President asked Babalakin and Ogundipe to recuse themselves from their duties, and he ordered the acting VC appointed by the Babalakin-led council to leave the seat.
The President also constituted a visitation panel to the university with a two-week mandate to investigate the crisis and report its findings.
Earlier today, several articles commissioned by the camp of the suspended governing-council Chairman criticized Buhari’s action and queried its legality.
The Senate of the University had, however, issued a notice to members to convene a meeting on Monday, August 24, with a view to appointing an acting VC as directed by the President.
Senate members were on Sunday asked to sign up document to convene the emergency meeting on Monday.
The notice says: “Dear Senate Member, Sequel to the Directive of *The* Visitor to the Senate of the University, members of Senate (who at this time are Professors only) are requested to sign up the request to convene an Emergency Meeting of Senate on Monday, 24th August, 2020.
“The sign up documents are available at the under-listed locations on Campus between 10am and 6pm today, *Sunday* 23rd August 2020.
- Senate Foyer, Senate Building.
- Admin Block, CMUL Idi-Araba
However, in a swift reaction, Azeez, in another notice to all Senate members on Sunday, stated that the council was yet to summon any meeting of the Senate.
He also asked the members to await proper notice of the meeting after the Federal Government must have clarified some issues germane to the meeting,
Azeez’s notice reads: “Notice to all Senate Members. This is to inform all Senate Members that no meeting of Senate has been summoned.
“Members should await proper Notice of Meeting after the Federal Government of Nigeria has clarified some issues germane to the meeting. Thank you.”
Watch video of the acting Chairman of UNILAG’s Senate emergency committee, Prof Chioma Agomo, briefing reporters after the election of Prof Ogunsola as acting VC: