Babalakin Stands Indicted Over UNILAG Crisis – FG
By JUMOKE SANNI
The federal government has said former pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council of University of Lagos, Dr Wale Babalakin stands indicted, contrary to his outburst that he has been cleared of the regular visitation panel.
In a statement signed by the director of press, Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Bem Goong, and made available to LEADERSHIP, the Ministry said Babalakin was heavily indicted by the “Special Presidential Visitation Panel” to the University, following the removal of the vice chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
President Muhammadu Buhari had, last year dissolved Babalakin-led Governing Council of the University over leadership crisis that engulfed the institution, reinstating the suspended Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ogundipe while indicating that his removal was without due process.
The President directed that all allegations made against the Vice-Chancellor and the management of the University before and after the constitution of the “Special Visitation Panel” be referred to “Regular Visitation Panel” for a thorough investigation and necessary recommendations.
Goong said, “One of the key terms of reference of that panel was to ascertain if due process was followed by the Babalakin-led governing council.
“The Special Presidential Visitation Panel returned a comprehensive verdict of guilt on the chairman and his council, stating that the process leading to the removal of the vice chancellor was divisive, humiliating and crude.
“Consequently, a white paper committee was set up by the federal government which recommended the sack of the chairman, Babalakin and his entire council for infractions bothering on lack of due process.”
He said the reference being made to the Regular Visitation Panel is completely misleading, as the Regular Panel chaired by a reputable Four-Star General, Martin Luther Agwai had no mandate to review the decisions of the special visitation panel and his white paper and could therefore, not have exonerated the chairman and his council.
He further said government has already issued a white paper on the report of the 2020 Special Presidential Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos which culminated in the desolation of the former governing council and reinstatement of the vice chancellor.
