The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged the governing council of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, to prioritise the appointment of the institution’s 9th substantive vice-chancellor.
He gave the charge on Thursday during the inauguration of the newly appointed chairman of the governing council and 12 other reappointed members.
The governor also appealed to the chairman of the council who is a former Accountant-General of the state, David Sunmoni, to ensure that all conflicts on the campus are resolved.
The inauguration of the governing council came about seven weeks after Mr Sanwo-Olu, who is the Visitor to the institution, dissolved the Professor Adebayo Ninalowo-led governing council on the recommendation of a visitation panel that probed the controversies surrounding the selection of a substantive VC for the university.
The reappointment of 12 of the dissolved council into the new one and the replacement of Mr Ninalowo by the governor is said to be based on the recommendation of the visitation panel which was led by a former vice-chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Bamitale Omole.
The governor said there were wide consultations with relevant stakeholders before the former members were reappointed and the former chairman replaced. He urged the members to strictly adhere to due process, extant laws of the school and to be fair to all contenders for the vice-chancellorship position.
The governor said; “Inauguration of the new governing council signals a new chapter of progress and resolution of issues surrounding the appointment of a substantive VC for the university. As the supreme governing authority of the university, I charge you to give top priority to implementation of quality policies and programmes that will accelerate its pace of development and growth.
“One of the key responsibilities of the Council which requires your urgent attention is the activation of the process for the appointment of a new VC for the university. In performing this responsibility, I urge you to be guided by the lessons from past events and ensure strict adherence to relevant laws, guidelines and procedures.”
He also urged them to work tirelessly to sustain and improve existing peace and industrial harmony in the university, saying the progress of the school was the only way to justify the confidence reposed in them.
He charged them to come up with innovations, programmes and policies that would move the university forward and maintain its academic excellence, while assuring the council members of his administration’s continuous support.
Mr Sanwo-Olu noted that special consideration was given to the appointees’ pedigrees, competencies, work experience and their contributions to the development of the state and the country as a whole.
The special adviser to the governor on education, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that the council members’ appointments were made in pursuant of the powers conferred on the governor by the enabling laws of the school.
He said the ceremony became imperative in order not to create a vacuum in the governance of the school.
Responding on behalf of other members, Mr Sunmoni promised to work harmoniously with other members and the university administration to make the school a citadel “all stakeholders would be proud of.”
The chairman, who is described as the only official in the history of civil service in the state to have served as both auditor general and accountant general until his retirement, said his appointment is a unique opportunity to serve the people more.
He pledged that the council under his watch would do its best to take the university to a greater height.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were the university’s acting VC, Adedamola Oke, and the acting registrar, Emmanuel Fanu.
Other members of the council are Tolagbe Taiwo, Moronke Williams, Tolani Sule, Hakeem Adetugbobo, Anuoluwapo Eso, Adebayo Akinsanya, Foluke AbdulRazaq, Shaffideen Amuwo, Adenike Yomi-Faseun, Adekunle Soname, Karl Toriola, and Ifeanyi Odii.
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