Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Dr. Wale Babalakin has said Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe’s removal as Vice-Chancellor followed due process.

He added that Ogundipe was given an opportunity to defend himself against allegations of financial misappropriation.

Addressing reporters on Friday at the MMA2 arrival hall, Babalakin said the Council indicted Ogundipe of looting and reckless mismanagement of University funds.

He said Ogundipe renovated his official quarters for N49 million without approval from Council and allocated N41 million to the University Bursar to renovate his residence to cover up.

Babalakin also claimed that Ogundipe was protesting his removal wrongly.

Rather than go to court, he said the law requires he should write an appeal to the Visitor.

He also denied that a Senate meeting of UNILAG held on Thursday, noting that under the law, only the VC can summon a meeting of Senate, and as at the time Ogundipe conveyed one, he was no longer the VC.

His words: “The confusion is that most people don’t how governing council operates. There was full compliance of the law in the removal of Prof Ogundipe.

He said: “The issue has been lingering on for a long time. Series of attempts were made to reconcile but the VC was not forthcoming.”

Babalakin explained that there is no crisis in UNILAG, adding “what we have is a focal minority, who are benefiting from the corruption in UNILAG which has become cultural.”

According to him, the council is determined to fight corruption in UNILAG and revealed further that Ogundipe was not the only person indicted by the council committee.

“Due process was followed in the removal of Ogundipe. After the council committee indicted the VC, he wrote his defense in May and spoke for one hour. His sack was done in accordance with UNILAG law”

The governing council chairman said under UNILAG, voting can be done in secret or open ballot. He disclosed that the votes were counted with each council members’ comments.Everyone voted, they didn’t just vote but they made comments and I read out all the comments.

“Go and read the law, what the law said is that when a Vice-Chancellor is removed and you have a complaint, you will write an appeal to the visitor. He cannot on his own, declare that he has not been removed as Ogundipe has done. He cannot on his own confront his employers. In law, he has resigned because if you challenge your employer and you are still in his employment, you have actually left.

“The weakness of Ogundipe is that his legal advisers have not done a very thorough job. There is no stalemate and there is no chaos in the university because the law would take its course. It is not in the place of the removed VC to say he has not been removed. He cannot be a judge in his own court.

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