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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, will on Friday announce the institution’s 13th substantive vice chancellor.
The single five-year tenure of current vice chancellor, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, will end on November 11, 2022.
Ogundipe, who was appointed in 2017, had a running battle with the immediate past pro-chancellor and chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin, over allegations and counter-allegations of corruption, high handedness,insubordination, among others.
Babalakin’s successor, also an alumnus of the institution, Prince Lanre Tejuoso, gave a hint about the possible announcement of a new vice chancellor on Monday, during an event to mark the university’s 60th anniversary, held at the College of Medicine, Idi-Araba, Lagos
The pro-chancellor, who did not reveal the details about the process, however, assured of a level-playing field for all the aspirants, saying as a proud alumnus, he would ensure that the new peaceful atmosphere on campus is sustained.
He said: “The process has started and I introduced democracy. When we went for a council meeting they did not expect that I would bring ballot papers.”
Tejuosho said neither the friends of the outgoing VC nor his own associates were part of those who decided on the criteria for shortlisting candidates.
“Everybody picked their own ballot paper and those who became members were chosen by God,” he added.
He said whoever emerges as the vice chancellor will be God’s choice, “because the process will be transparent.”
According to PREMIUM TIMES, seven out of the eight professors who submitted applications before the deadline in June have been shortlisted by the council.
The seven candidates shortlisted are from the university’s Faculties of Management Sciences, Arts, Law, Sciences and College of Medicine.
They are Abayomi Akinyeye of the Department of History, Faculty of Arts; Folasade Ogunsola of the College of Medicine; Mathew Ilori and Adeyinka Adekunle, both from the Department of Microbiology and Botany, Faculty of Sciences.
Others are Imran Smith, Faculty of Law; Timothy Nubi, Department of Estate Management at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences; and Ayo Olowe of the Department of Finance, Faculty of Management Sciences.