By Gabriel Dike
The Senate of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos, has taken a decision against its former pro-chancellor and chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Wale Babalakin.
The decision to sanction Dr. Babalakin, who resigned in August 2020 as UNILAG council chairman during the crisis that engulfed the university in 2020 was taken by the Senate at its meeting on December 22, 2021.
At the meeting, the Senate voted to support a motion that the university would never confer any honorary award or recognition on Babalakin, based on his role during the crisis that rocked UNILAG in 2020.
Menawhile, a motion to cancel his Law degree was stepped down by the Senate.
Babalakin had a face-off with UNILAG’s Senate when the council under his watch, in August 2020, removed the vice-chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, without following due process.
The Senate not only rejected the acting VC, Prof. Omololu Soyombo, it insisted that Prof. Ogundipe remained UNILAG’s VC. It wrote letters to the Presidency and the National Universities Commission (NUC) faulting the removal of the VC.
In reaction to the letter and the Special Visitation Panel’s recommendations, President Muhammadu Buhari reinstated Ogundipe as the VC.
Buhari accepted the panel’s report that due process was not followed in the removal of Ogundipe and approved the reinstatement of the VC.
The Education Report learnt that the Senate meeting on Wednesday December 22, 2021, was physical and virtual and had 192 members in attendance.
According to a professor, the Senate agreed that its standing order be reviewed, Senate constitute a committee for the process, which would recommend guidelines for acceptance of appointment.
The senior academic staff disclosed that the Senate agreed to lay to rest the case of the Registrar over the crisis that rocked UNILAG under Babalakin-led governing council.
The source said UNILAG Senate acknowledged that the actions of Dr. Babalakin from 2017 to 2020 when the government dissolved the council undermined the position of Senate and the university.
The professor told the Education Report that Senate resolved that the former Pro-chancellor, Chairman of Governing Council, Dr. Babalakin, should not be considered for any recognition or honour by UNILAG Senate now or in the future.