The acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Theophilus Soyombo, said on Wednesday when he resumed duty, that it was important for members of staff to leave the university better than they met it.
Professor Soyombo had been appointed as the acting VC following the sack of Professor Ogundipe by the Governing Council last week over alleged abuse of office and financial misconduct.
At the Senate building, the VC addressed some workers who gathered to welcome him. He said that he would prioritise workers’ welfare.
“These are indeed trying times for our great University and our prayer is that God will see us through this trying period,” Professor Soyombo stated.
“I want to thank all our unions and the members – NASU, SSANU, NAAT, and ASUU. No matter what we say, we are all together and should all just work together and I believe that by the grace of God, peace and stability will return to our University and we will all continue to work together in unity.
“We are all familiar with the current situation. On the 12th of August, 2020, the Governing Council of the University of Lagos removed the former Vice Chancellor and announced my appointment as the Ag. Vice-Chancellor of the University.
“This appointment was with immediate effect. And I saw it as a call to service to the University of Lagos. And it is in this regard that I accepted the appointment for the ultimate benefit of the university.
“I thought that we should not allow the ship of the University of Lagos to continue to drift. The University of Lagos is a foremost University; the University of Lagos is greater than any individual; anyone of us.
We all come here to work and at our various times we pray that we all live till retirement. But whether we like it or not, when we work in UNILAG, we will leave UNILAG. But the University of Lagos will continue. It behooves us to leave the University of Lagos better than we met it.”
He asked for the support of everyone, stressing that he could not do it alone as there was a lot of work to be done. The acting Vice Chancellor also said that he would focus mainly on staff welfare.
“I believe in this regard the human resources are the core assets of any organisation and I believe that a well-motivated staff to be able to deliver and work very hard. We must encourage our staff; we must motivate our staff to work well.”
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