FG decision on Babalakin, Ogundipe is a courageous step ― ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),  University of Lagos(UNILAG), Akoka, branch,  on Friday, commended the Federal Government for suspending from their official duties both the chairman of the governing council, Dr Wale Babalakin and the embattled Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.

It said the decision was not only a welcome development but a courageous step.

The chairman of the branch, Dr Dele Ashiru, in the union’s immediate reaction to the suspension order told Tribune Online in an exclusive interview that the Federal Government decision would provide room for all the parties involved in the crisis which had rocked the university in the last eight days to present their cases before an independent panel constituted to investigate the matter.

“So, our union,” he said,  “Appreciates the Federal Government for this courageous step to halt Wale Babalakin’s shenanigan in UNILAG.”

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Tribune Online recalls that apart from the senate of the university, which is the highest decision making organ on academics, ASUU is another staff union in the university which has been consistently condemning both the purported sacked of Professor Ogundipe and the appointment in his stead an acting vice-chancellor by the Dr Wale Babalakin- led council on the premise that both actions, according to the union, did not follow due process.

The other staff unions, especially the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Academic of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) were on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively turned back on Professor Ogundipe and shifted their earlier support for him to Professor Omololu Soyombo who officially assumed duty as an acting vice-chancellor on Wednesday, which was seven days after his appointment to the office.

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