By Dipo Olowookere
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has ordered a fresh process for the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor for the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, on Friday disclosed that this directive was recommended in the report submitted to the Governor by a visitation panel instituted to look into the leadership crisis in the state-owned institution.
Mr Sanwo-Olu, who doubles as the Visitor to the school, also dissolved the governing council of LASU, with the pro-chancellor removed with immediate effect for alleged “flagrant violations of the extant laws and regulations of the university guiding the appointment of a VC.”
The Governor, who announced an immediate constitution of a full visitation panel for LASU, disclosed that “in due course, a new governing council for the Lagos State University will be constituted. The reconstituted council shall conduct a new process for the appointment of the 9th Vice-Chancellor.”
According to him, members of the joint council and the senate committee who participated in the two failed exercises of 2020 and 2021 to appoint a 9th LASU VC are exempted from further participation in the new exercise, adding that the acting Vice-Chancellor and management of the university are directed to elect new council members from the senate.
He also said, “The registrar and secretary to the 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 VC 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 statement added.
The Commissioner stressed in the statement that Mr Sanwo-Olu adopted the recommendations of the panel based on “the powers conferred on him by the Lagos State University Law, Cap L69 volume 7, Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (as amended).”
