The Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and eight senior staff of the institution have been queried by the Chairman, Governing Council of the university, Dr. Wale Babalakin.

The queries given to some principal officers of UNILAG and academic staff are already generating ripples on the campus.

In a swift reaction, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) UNILAG branch faulted the action of the council chairman, insisting on due process.

A senior management staff revealed to our correspondent that the queries were based on a committee report which had not been tabled before the governing council for deliberations.

Our correspondent confirmed that the report of the committee which investigated the finances of UNILAG from 2017-2019, was recently submitted to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Babalakin.

According to our source, the governing council had not seen the report or deliberated on it before the chairman unilaterally acted on it.

Regarding the queries issued to other staff, the senior management staff said the affected academic staff sort and got approval to travel abroad but Babalakin felt otherwise and issued them queries.

It was also revealed that Prof. Ogundipe was queried for traveling abroad without the approval of the government council chairman.

Our correspondent further learnt that among the senior management staff queried by Babalakin were the VC, his two deputies, bursar, former VC, registrar, bursar and director of academic planning.

“Prof. Ogundipe was invited by the French government to an event. But Babalakin attempted to prevent him from travelling by trying to nominate another person. He threatened to deduct the number of days the VC spent in France from his annual leave,” the source explained.

While reacting to the development, UNILAG ASUU congress insisted that due process must be followed.

ASUU branch chairman, Dr. Dele Ashiru, said the congress frowned at the unilateral decision of the council chairman.

“What ASUU congress is against, is one person raising the allegation, investigating it and pronouncing judgment.

“The council committee submitted a report to the council chairman. Let the report be presented to the entire council, debated and decision taken by members.

“The union is not shielding any member that the council is investigating. The congress insists due process must be followed. If anybody has committed an offence, the rules and regulation of UNILAG must be followed; let them be sanction according to UNILAG Act. We are against an individual being the accuser and the judge.” (The Sun)

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