By our reporter| The Pro-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Wale Babalakin on Friday defended the removal of Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as the Vice-Chancellor of the institution by the governing council as he accused the former VC of gross misappropriation of funds and reckless looting of resources.
Babalakin while defending the removal at a press brieffing at the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, said, if a vice-chancellor is removed and he wants to complain, he will write an appeal to the visitor.
Ogundipe was removed as the university’s vice-chancellor on Wednesday by the governing council at a meeting held in Abuja, with six members of the council voting for his removal while four voted against.
Ogundipe, alongside the university’s senate and all the staff unions in the institution has rejected the decision of the governing council.
But justifying the decision of the governing council, Babalakin said, “He cannot on his own declare that he has not been removed. He cannot on his own decide to confront his employer.”
“Professor Ogundipe has been looting the university and looting it recklessly, that’s the plain truth that we should not hide.
“There is misappropriation and there is direct looting of the University. All attempts were made to put an end to this.”
According to Babalakin, Ogundipe without seeking approval spent N49 million renovating his house.
“Under the process, this has to be done with approval from the council, he sought no approval. To cover up, he gave the bursar N41 million to renovate his official residence. The official residence of the bursar can be built for N41 million from the scratch, this was what was spent on renovation.”
Babalakin further stated that an investigation ordered by the governing council showed that Mr Ogundipe misappropriated funds and that the resistance to his removal is from “the vocal minority who are benefiting extensively from the resources of the university.”
“There is the silent majority and the vocal minority benefiting from the corruption of the university which has become cultural and we are determined to stop it, which is why there is resistance, ” he said.
On the threat by the University lecturers warning for him not to set foot on the institution, Babalakin said he cannot be physically restrained by the lecturers.
“You cannot physically restrain anybody during a Labour dispute, all you are allowed to do is picketing.”
“The law will take its course. It is not in the place of the removed VC to say he has not been removed. He cannot be a judge in his own court,” he said.
Ogundipe, the sacked Vice-Chancellor has since denied any wrong doing.
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