UNILAG Senate appoints Ogunsola as new Acting VC

The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has at an emergency meeting, yesterday, elected the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Development Services, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, as the institution’s acting Vice Chancellor (VC).

She is the first female to be so appointed VC in the history of the 58-year-old ivory institution.

Ogunsola, a professor of medical microbiology and daughter of first professor of Geography, Prof. Akin Mabogunje, polled 135 votes to defeat her rival, a Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Management Services, Prof. Ben Oghojafor, who got 31 votes.

In an interview with The Guardian on her tenure as provost, she said: “When I became provost truly, I planned to be provost for four years and return to the academia, and I also had the fundamental belief that if I improve the College of Medicine, I would be better off for it. In other words, you don’t need to know a governor.

The Senate is expected to forward the name to the Council for ratification and approval.

The Federal Government had also mandated both the Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Wale Babalakin and the embattled Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, to step aside from office until the visitation panel concludes its sitting.

Meanwhile, there was confusion yesterday whether or not to hold the Senate emergency meeting.

While about 100 professors signed for the convocation of the meeting, the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Oladejo Azeez, in a counter-directive said the Council was yet to summon any meeting of the Senate.

The Senate, in the notice, said: “Dear Senate members, sequel to the directive of the Visitor to the Senate of the university, members are requested to sign up the request to convene an emergency meeting on Monday, August 24, 2020.”

However, in another notice to all the Senate members, Azeez said the Council was yet to summon any meeting of the Senate.

He said the Council also asked the members to await proper notice of the meeting after the Federal Government must have clarified some issues concerning the directive.

In the meantime, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to revisit the composition of the visitation panel to ensure fairness to all concerned.

President of the association, Samson Ugwoke, who stated this in Abuja yesterday, said most of the members of the panel belong to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) whose suspended Vice Chancellor is a member.