The Federal government has waded into the crisis between the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Toyin Ogundipe and the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Dr. Wale Babalakin.
The Governing Council had sacked Professor Ogundipe over allegations of abuse of office and financial misconduct. Ogundipe denied the allegations and accused the Governing Council of removing him unfairly. He was replaced with Professor Theophilus Soyombo, who has since resumed.
In a statement on Friday, the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, said that Babalakin and Ogundipe had been instructed to recuse themselves from management activities of the university pending the result of an investigation.
The Ministry has also set up an investigative panel headed by Tukur Sa’ad, former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna and has Victor Onuoha, Ikenna Oyindo, Grace Braide, Adamu Usman, and Jimoh Bankole as members.
Meanwhile, Ogundipe has withdrawn the lawsuit he filed at the National Industrial Court against the Governing Council.
In a statement by one of his lawyers, Ebun Adegboruwa, Ogundipe’s case was not dismissed by the court. He explained that his client decided to file a notice of discontinuance of the case after consulting stakeholders and supporters within and outside the university and to allow the Presidency wade into the situation.
“This is to defer to the authority of the President as the Visitor of the university as Prof Ogundipe has enough time to challenge his purported removal. This falsehood is being spread to malign the court and blackmail the judiciary by enemies of the rule of law and due process,” Adegboruwa said.
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