Dr. Wale Babalakin, the suspended Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has quit his position.
The Punch reports that Mikail Mumini, his media aide, confirmed the development.
Babalakin’s resignation comes after the Presidential Visitation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari submitted its report on Thursday.
The panel was inaugurated on August 26 to look into the leadership crisis in the university.
In his resignation notice, Babalaki rejected the composition of the visitation panel, stating that its actions showed the probe would be unfair.
“Recent events have made my position in these two offices untenable. I led the Governing Council of the University to remove the Vice-Chancellor of the University from office for amongst other reasons: (a) Corruption and financial recklessness; (b) Forgery; (c) Complicity in the collapse of the University library and planned cover up; (d) Deliberate policy of wrongfully concealing information; (e) Depriving the Faculties in the University of funds; (f) Concealing and distorting finances of the Internally Generating Units of the University; (g) Undermining the academic process and seeking to appoint a Professor by fiat; (h) Siphoning of the University’s funds through dubious contract awards; (i) Undermining the office of the Registrar; (j) Failure to follow due process in organizing the University’s convocation ceremony; and (k) Sponsoring or acquiescing in the unconstitutional actions of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos chapter,” the letter read.
“Sir, it is noteworthy that all the Federal Government Representatives who are the independent members on the Governing Council voted for the removal of the Vice-Chancellor. After calm had been restored in the University, the Visitor acting, within his powers, set up a Presidential Visitation Panel to review the actions taken by Governing Council.
“The Vice-Chancellor (who had been removed from office) and myself were told to recuse ourselves for the duration of the Visitation Panel. I find it difficult to understand how a non-executive Chairman of a Governing Council could be requested to recuse himself during the visitation.
“The Vice-Chancellor could only recuse himself if he were still in office. Implicit in this position is that the Vice-Chancellor was acknowledged as still being in office despite his removal.”
The Governing Council of the University of Lagos, led by Babalakin, had confirmed the removal of the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe from office.
The Council said the decision was based on the investigation of serious acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness, and abuse of office against Ogundipe.
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