By Bianca Iboma-Emefu, Lagos
The Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) will on Friday, October 7, 2022, announce the new Vice Chancellor for the 60th institution.
The Pro-chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of UNILAG, Prince Lanre Tejuoso), disclosed this on Monday during an event heralding the 60th-anniversary celebration of the institution held at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi- Araba, Campus.
The new VC will replace Prof. Ołuwatoyin Ogundipe, who was appointed the 12th substantive Vice Chancellor of UNILAG by the institution Governing Council at a meeting on Friday, October 27th, 2017.
In line with guidelines for the appointment of VC, the selection committee will recommend three candidates for final consideration by the entire governing council.
The new VC would be the 13th since the inception of the institution as the outgoing VC, Prof. Ogundipe has only 39 days to leave office next month.
Tejuoso explained that the outgoing VC, a Professor of Botany, and the 12th VC would take a bow in November after five-year single tenure.
The pro-chancellor revealed that the selection process is at its final stage and advised the management and staff of the institution to pray fervently for God’s intervention to ensure that the new VC would emerge based on merit, God’s divine involvement, and not by man’s choice.
Prince Tejuoso added that he made the process democratic, transparent and fair play, stating that emphatically whoever emerges, as the new VC is automatically the choice of God.
He used the occasion to commend the outgoing VC for being passionate about the university and that he has led an exemplary leadership style adding, under his leadership, the university experienced a lot of innovation and development. For the last six decades, the university has been involved in teaching, research, and community engagements.”
The council chairman lamented the ongoing nationwide industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the development has crippled academic activities and disrupted the calendar of public universities, stressing that the students have lost valuable time within the period.
“ I sincerely hope that the crisis is resolved soonest and academic activities return to tertiary institutions involved in the strike.
Tejuso further explained that the institution would launch an endowment fund worth $500 million in commemoration of its diamond jubilee anniversary celebration, with the theme,” eyes of the future”
According to him, the endowment fund is meant to provide hybrid gadgets and up-to-date facilities that would replace the old ones in the institution.
In his speech, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof Ogundipe, said he is grateful to God almighty for the privilege and support since he assumed office in 2017 and how he has favoured him through his tenure.
He recalled how God created a vacuum for him to get a job in the Faculty of Sciences, became Dean of the faculty, rose to become deputy VC and became VC in 2017 which is about 39 days to complete his tenure as the VC and takes a bow.
Ogundipe said UNILAG had become a global brand not only in academics but also in research and innovations as well as community services. He said even though the students and lecturers are not on the ground at the moment because of the ongoing ASUU strike, the 60th anniversary would continue and run for one year.
The outgoing VC said there is nothing UNILAG can do to stop the ongoing strike since it is a national strike and involves public universities.
Meanwhile, at the event, two of the pioneer sets of the institution, Professors Olakunle Iyanda, and Laide Abass, shared their experiences back to their days as students and as members of academics in the university.
Prof Iyanda, who was admitted into the university in 1962 and later became the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration said the entire student population at the time was about 400 and that they really enjoyed their studentship.
He recalled how a 200-level student of Law of the university stabbed the second VC, Prof Saburi Biobaku during a Senate procession after he delivered his acceptance speech as the VC of UNILAG. He said the incident led to the first induced shutdown of the university.