One time law student and graduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Wale Babalakin, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has resigned his position as the Pro-Chancellor of the institution.
Babalakin conveyed news of his resignation in a letter dated September 15, 2020 and addressed to Adamu Adamu, the minister of education.
The Pro-Chancellor who sent in his resignation after he was suspended by the federal government, said his decision was based on many “vested interests” asides other issues he raised.
The resignation came a few hours after the Special Visitation Panel set up by the Federal Government to look into the management crisis rocking the university submitted its report to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.
The SAN faulted the terms of reference of the committee, noting that they were set to achieve a predetermined agenda.
Babalakin insisted that the membership of the panel was inappropriate.
“How can a committee of Vice-Chancellors determine the culpability or otherwise of the actions of a Pro-Chancellor and a Governing Council?” On the face of it, it is simply wrong! Furthermore, the Vice-Chancellors on the Panel were drawn from relatively smaller universities who are not likely to have a comprehensive understanding of the procedure contained in the University of Lagos Act (as amended).
Babalakin, who said it “is acutely hurtful that I am leaving before achieving our goal of sanitising the University of Lagos,” said he was leaving based on principle.
“In a situation where my employers believe that the actions I took may not be right, the appropriate thing to do is bow out in honour,”