The special visitation panel constituted to resolve the impasse in the selection of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the Lagos State University (LASU) has called for memoranda.
The Visitation Panel, in an advert dated March 30, 2021, called on relevant stakeholders and members of the public to submit their memoranda to enable it review the immediate and remote causes of the deadlock experienced in the VC selection process.
The advert, titled, “Office Of The Special Adviser On Education: Special Visitation Panel To The Lagos State University On The Appointment Of A Vice-Chancellor,” was signed by the Secretary to the Visitation Panel, Funmilayo Olajide.
Amongst other things, the Visitation Panel has the mandate of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to:
“Look at the remote and immediate causes for the impasse into the selection process and procedure for the appointment of the 9th Vice-Chancellor for the university;
“Review, in the public interest, the relevance or otherwise of the deluge of petitions against 1st and 2nd processes for the appointment of the 9th Vice-Chancellor to the university;
“Examine if the extant laws of the university and other relevant guidelines were followed in the appointment of the 9th Vice-Chancellor;
“Review and advise on all other relevant matters in respect of the process adopted so far for the appointment of the 9th substantive Vice-Chancellor for LASU; and
“Make other recommendations for the smooth running of the university.”
The Visitation Panel, therefore, invited relevant stakeholders and members of the public to submit their memoranda in soft copies and 10 hard copies with names and contact addresses.
The hard copies of the memoranda are expected to be addressed and submitted to, “The Secretary, Special Visitation Panel To LASU 2021, Office Of The Special Adviser On Education, 3rd Floor, Ministry Of Education, Block 5, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.”
The soft copies of the memoranda are also expected to be submitted to visitationpanelforlasu2021@lagosstate.gov.ng.
Both versions of memoranda are expected to be submitted before April 16, 2021.
The Senate of the Lagos State University had appointed Oyedamola Oke as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the institution.
Oke was appointed to succeed Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, whose five-year tenure ended on January 11, 2021.
Following the expiration of the tenure of Fagbohun, two different processes to select a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the institution proved unsuccessful as controversies trailed the qualification of the candidates in both selection processes, thus, resulting in the cancellation of both processes.
LASU visitation panel inaugurated
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday inaugurated a Special Visitation Panel to look into issues relating to appointments and other issues in LASU.
The panel was raised following the controversy trailing the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the state-owned university.
It is comprising former vice chancellors, seasoned administrators, technocrats and top public servants is headed by the Pro-Chancellor of the Ekiti State University and former Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Bamitale Omole.
Other members of the Special Visitation Panel are; former Vice-Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Joseph Ajienka; a renowned University don, Ayo Olukotun; former Registrar of University of Ibadan, Olujimi Olukoya, former Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN) and a Level-17 Officer in the Office of the Special Adviser, Education, Funmilola Olajide, who will serve as the Secretary of the Visitation Panel.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Special Visitation Panel to LASU, Governor Sanwo-Olu urged members of the panel to discharge their responsibilities with fairness, firmness and forthrightness.
He said, “I want to thank you because we know that you are donating your time and intellect for the State Government to be able to put a lasting solution to the current situation that we found ourselves in the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for Lagos State University (LASU).
“As enshrined in the laws setting up LASU, the procedures for the appointment of a Vice Chancellor are clearly stated there and as the Visitor, my responsibility is to ensure that fairness, firmness and forthrightness are emboldened in that process and become a process that is flawless.
“We have been hit by barrage of complaints and unimaginable issues coming out from it. And by the power that has being reposed in me as the Visitor, I need to step in to ensure that we put LASU on the proper footing again and ensure that it takes its rightful place in the comity of universities.
“This assignment will be time driven. There is an advert that has gone out and which the general public are meant to respond to. Timeline has been stipulated and for the panel to thereafter review whatever has been brought forward to them and be able to make decision and recommendation to me so that we can resolve the current impasse and we can appoint a substantive Vice Chancellor into our university.”
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