Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe has headed to court following his removal from office by the governing council of the institution.
In a notice addressed to the governing council of the institution by Ogundipe’s lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the sacked VC alleged that the Council breached all known rules of natural justice and section 36 of the 1999 Constitution in purportedly removing him from his position as he was never heard at all or ever made to face any panel or Committee to defend himself against allegations of unauthorised expenditure of University funds.
Ozekhome also told The Nation;
The Council breached all known rules of natural justice and section 36 of the 1999 Constitution in purportedly removing him as VC, as he was never heard at all or ever made to face any panel or Committee to defend himself against allegations of unauthorised expenditure of university funds leading to his purported removal from office.
“It is believed that even the Representative of the Federal Ministry of Education, Prince Adetokunbo Adebanjo, had also protested the proceedings, and voted against the VC’s removal by WhatsApp message as was directed by Dr Babalakin ( the chairman of Council) even in the absence of the VC.
“One of the issues in contention apart from denial of fair hearing is that the voting process was fundamentally flawed as votes of those who voted against the VC’s removal like Prince Adebanjo were allegedly not counted.
“The UNILAG Act available to us makes it clear that the VC must first be tried by a joint Committee of the Senate and Council before any recommendation for his removal is sent to the Council for debate and action.
“Even then, the Council cannot remove him without the Senate first concurring, all of which were said never to have taken place at all.
“The Registrar of the University and Secretary to Council, Oladejo Azeez, had immediately published a “Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice Chancellor University of Lagos.
“All stakeholders of UNILAG and the general public to disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting vice Chancellor of UNILAG. Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who he said still remains the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos”.
