The Lagos State University (LASU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the union has been vindicated by the dismissal of Adebayo Ninalowo and other members of the LASU governing council.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had last month relieved the officials of their roles “for flagrant violations of the extant laws and regulations of the University guiding the appointment of a vice-chancellor.”
In a statement by Tony Dansu, its secretary, and Adeolu Oyekan, assistant secretary, the varsity’s ASUU said the removal justified its earlier claim of irregularities against the Ninalowo-led committee in the selection of the institution’s ninth substantive vice-chancellor.
The union also said its reaction is coming against the backdrop of a public notice published by the former pro-chancellor shortly after his dismissal.
ASUU disclosed that in the notice published on May 25, Ninalowo had attempted to “correct” Sanwo-Olu’s statement which indicated that the joint selection committee of council and senate acted irresponsibly and failed to follow the guiding rules for the process.
It added that “his release was also aimed at protecting the integrity of members of the joint committee and also for prosperity.”
In its reaction, however, ASUU dismissed Ninalowo’s publication, noting that he carried out several irregularities before he was eventually axed by the governor.
“There’s no doubting the fact that many procedures were breached by professor Ninalowo as pro-chancellor and chairman of the joint council and senate selection committee in the selection process,” the statement read.
The union cited some of the breaches carried out by Ninalowo to include: “advert placement without the authorisation of the governing council; no governing council input into the content of the adverts placed for the vacant position of LASU vice-chancellor and shortlisting of unqualified candidates as per the advertised conditions.”
Others, it said include, “manipulations in consulting the joint council and senate selection committee as well as lack of decorum and excessive display of arrogance by professor Ninalowo.”
The union called on the governor, who doubles as the institution’s visitor, not to relent in his efforts to “clean LASU from the dirts it has been smeared with.”
“In conclusion, our union feels vindicated in its view that Professor Ninalowo ought not to have been returned as chairman of the governing council, and that he should have been removed the moment it became clear that the first selection process for a new vice-chancellor was marred by many glaring irregularities,” it added.
“Nonetheless, the union supports the action taken by the visitor to stem the tide pushing LASU into the abyss, and strongly believes that the visitor has acted within the ambit of the law that sets up the university in taking the action that swept away Ninalowo from the position he has used to do so much institutional damage to our dear university.
“We implore the visitor not to delay in commencing the full-blown visitation to finally clean LASU from the dirts it has been smeared with during the Ninalowo and Olarewaju Fagbohun era.”
LASU has been in crisis since the tenure of Fagbohun, the institution’s eighth VC, expired on January 11, 2021.
One of his deputies, Professor Oyedamola Oke had remained acting Vice-Chancellor ever since.
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