The academic and non-academic members of staff at the University of Lagos are currently holding a meeting, where the issue of the sack of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, by the Governing Council is the main item on the agenda.
It was gathered that the joint meeting is holding after leadership of the unions had met separately.
As of 11.30am, the meeting was ongoing at the Council Chamber Foyer of the university.
During the meeting, the leaders of the unions took turns to address the workers.
It was also gathered that an emergency Senate meeting held on Thursday morning in the university.
“We will communicate the outcome of our meeting officially. I don’t want to be the one to divulge the outcome of the meeting,” a member of the Senate told our correspondent.
The lingering faceoff between Ogundipe and the Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Dr Wale Babalakin, worsened on Wednesday as the council announced the removal of Ogundipe from office .
Ogundipe’s removal was contained in a statement by the Registrar of the institution, Oladejo Azeez.
The announcement came after a meeting it reportedly held in Abuja.
It was gathered that 12 members of the council were present at the meeting and seven voted for Ogundipe’s removal, four voted against it and one voted that he be placed on suspension
But Ogundipe had described his “purported removal” from office as untrue and illegal.
Ogundipe said this in a statement he issued on Wednesday in Lagos.
”The attention of the University of Lagos Management has been drawn to a notice to the general public on the removal of the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, dated Aug. 12 and signed by Oladejo Azeez, Esq, Registrar and Secretary to council.
”It states that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has been removed from office with immediate effect.
”The purported removal is an illegality and cannot stand as it is in clear violation of the University of Lagos Act as amended by the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2003.
”Therefore, members of the University of Lagos community and the general public are advised to disregard the information as contained in the notice.
”Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe remains the Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos,” he said.
Details later…