Members of staff and students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, as well as parents have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for returning Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe back to his seat as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.
Professor Ogundipe, who had been on suspension since August following his purported sack by the then Dr Wale Babalakin’s led governing council over alleged infractions and the subsequent crisis that followed was reinstated on Wednesday by the Federal Government.
The staff’s members and students and also parents said President Buhari action was a welcome and suitable development as it was based according to them on fairness and truth.
They said it was now that UNILAG would enjoy peace, stability and genuine progress that had eluded the university in the last few months.
The chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the branch, Dr Dele Ashiru and his counterpart in charge of Non- Academic Staff Union (NASU), Mr Kehinde Ajibade, as well as that of the parent forum of the university, Mr Babatunde Majekodunmi, gave this position as their immediate reactions in a separate interview with Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday.
Aside from the chairman of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of the branch Mr Sola Sowunmi, who refused to comment on the excuse that he was still studying the situation, some management staff also spoke to by Tribune Online expressed happiness over the news.
ALSO READ:Â LG boss imposes 8pm to 6am curfew over missing genital in Benue
They said the decision of President Buhari as a visitor to the university and that of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for upholding the recommendations of the independent Visitation Panel sent to the university to investigate all issues that caused the crisis and the subsequent suspension of Professor Ogundipe and Dr Babalakin then had really shown that they stood firmly on the side of truth and due diligence.
They said the development including the dissolution of the governing council would not only bring back stability and meaningful development to UNILAG but would also serve as a lesson to people in authorities at all levels to always go by the rules of their engagements.
According to ASUU chairman, this singular decision of the President which is final has helped to put an end to the autocratic and brutish tendency of ‘power-drunk’ officials not only in UNILAG but across the university system in the country.
They, however, said they were eager to welcome their vice-chancellor back to campus so that they would all continue with their work to take the university to greater heights.