By Hours after the governing council of UNILAG removed Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as its vice-chancellor, Theophilus Soyombo has been appointed as acting VC of the institution.
Crisis brewed on Wednesday when the council resolved at its emergency meeting held in Abuja to Ogundipe over allegations of infractions and gross misconduct.
Mr Ogundipe in response, said his “purported removal” was a “mischievous disinformation” as “the extant provisions of the law were not complied with” by the council.
It appears the action of the governing council, however, does not have the backing of the law establishing the university. The law vests the power to remove a vice-chancellor on the Nigerian president, who is the visitor to the university.
By the provision of the UNILAG Act, the president of the country can remove the vice-chancellor “after due consultation with the Council and the Senate acting through the Minister of Education.” But the spokesperson for the education ministry said “the ministry is yet to be briefed.”
When asked the provision it followed to remove the VC, a member of the council who pleaded anonimity, cited section 18 of the university law.
