…As Folasade Ogunsola Seeks Support

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) Senate  has named the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of development services, Mrs Folasade Ogunsola, as the institution’s acting vice-chancellor.

She is the first female to be so appointed in the history of the 58-year-old ivory institution.

Prof. Chioma Agomo, Chairman of the Emergency Senate Committee, declared Ogunshola the winner of the election.

She described the election as transparent.

Agomo, a former Dean, Faculty of Law, said that due process was observed in the election.

“The Unilag Senate followed due process all through the election, and Prof. Ogunshola emerged the winner.

“We will soon forward our recommendations to council,” Agomo said.

Mrs Ogunsola, a professor of medical microbiology and first child of Nigeria’s first professor of Geography, Akin Mabogunje, was also the first female provost of the university’s college of medicine, Idi-Araba.

She defeated her opponent and a deputy vice-chancellor in charge of management services, Ben Oghojafor, with a wide margin.
She scored 135 votes as against Oghojafor’s 31 among the senate members.

A total of 167 professors were accredited for voting while one vote was voided.

The Senate meeting which was held on Monday, was purposely to appoint an acting VC as instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Buhari, who acted in his capacity as the institution’s visitor, had also set up a seven-member visitation panel to look into the crisis rocking the university.

In her appreciation speech, the newly appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor was quoted as saying; “Electing me the acting vice-chancellor at such time the university is going through so much is a big task.

“But it is a task for all of us, and I appeal to you to help rewrite the story of this great university for good”, she urged.

There has been crisis in Unilag following the removal of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, which deepened on Friday with the Federal Government directing him and the Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN), to step aside.

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