The leadership crisis engulfing the Lagos State University (LASU) has got a new twist with the dissolution of the school’s governing council by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
This decision comes amidst the nearly six month period since the immediate past vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun left office and is yet to be replaced by a substantive person due to controversies surrounding the appointment process.
Mr Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State and the Visitor to LASU after consideration of the report of the Special Visitation Panel on the appointment of the 9th Vice-Chancellor “and by the powers conferred on him by the Lagos State University Law, Cap L69 volume 7, Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (as amended)”, reached a decision that would mean new persons would conduct the VC selection process.
The immediate dissolution of the LASU Governing Council and the removal of the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council is “for flagrant violations of the extant laws and regulations of the University guiding the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor,” a statement signed by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso read.
Also, it leads to the cancellation of the second failed exercise to appoint the 9th Substantive Vice-Chancellor as a result of “the flagrant contravention of extant laws, breach of due process, failure and total disregard to follow its own laid down criteria guiding the process for the appointment of a 9th Vice-Chancellor as publicly advertised.”
The government said a new Governing Council for the Lagos State University will be constituted soon.
That reconstituted Council would conduct a new process for the appointment of the 9th Vice-Chancellor.
Members of the Joint Council and the Senate Committee who participated in the two failed exercises of 2020 and 2021 to appoint a 9th Vice-Chancellor are exempted from further participation in the new exercise for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.
To make things work, government directed the Acting Vice-Chancellor and Management of the University to elect new council members from the Senate.
The Registrar and Secretary to Council is to proceed on leave with immediate effect till the end of the process for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor, “having failed to advise the Joint Council and Senate Committee against taking wrong decisions, which were against the provision of the law during the two failed exercises of 2020 and 2021”.
An Acting Registrar will superintend over the new exercise. The Acting Vice-Chancellor is to forward to the Governor/Visitor through the Surrogate Council (Special Adviser on Education) the list of all the Deputy Registrars of Lagos State University for the purpose of appointing an Acting Registrar for the University.
The Governor/Visitor following the recommendation of the Special Visitation Panel, shall be setting up a full Visitation Panel for Lagos State University immediately.
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