FG’s special visitation panel on UNILAG crisis submits report

By Doosuur Iwambe

The Special Presidential Visitation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the crisis that led to the removal of the suspended Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has submitted its report.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who received the report on behalf of the Federal Government in Abuja, said the recommendations of the panel will be thoroughly scrutinized with the aim of full implementation.

He assured Nigerians that after due and thorough consideration of the report, a decision will be taken that will restore peace to the university.

Earlier, chairman of the panel, Professor Tukur Sa’ad, while presenting the report said, he was optimistic that the report of the panel will bring an end to the crisis that has festered over the last one year.

This development is coming three weeks after the Federal Government inaugurated the panel to resolve the matter.

While setting up the panel on August 26, Adamu warned members against interfering with the activities of the university management.

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He encouraged stakeholders in the university to cooperate with the panel and allow it to work unhindered.

He said, “Councils are to lay down policies while managements are to implement them, but over the past one year, the ministry has been inundated with complaints and correspondences from the management and the governing council of the University of Lagos as well as the National Assembly, on the lingering governance issues in the institution, including allegations of financial infractions and breach of responsibilities.”

The panel was set up to investigate the crisis rocking the university, following the earlier removal of its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, by the Governing Council led by Mr Wale Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.