By GABRIEL DIKE
Registrar of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Mr. Oladejo Azeez, has eaten the humble pie as he apologised to Senate members for locking them out of the venue to elect an acting Vice Chancellor as directed by the Federal Government six months ago.
In a letter to Senate members signed by the registrar and dated February 22, 2021, he apologised to them for ordering the Main Auditorium, venue of the election of an acting VC to be locked.
The registrar’s letter is based on a Senate resolution of Wednesday, January 27, 2021. The closure of the Main Auditorium was condemned by Senate members who had wanted to set up a panel on his action.
Following the illegal removal of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe in August 2020 by the then Governing Council, the Federal Government asked the registrar to convey a Senate meeting to elect an acting VC.
The registrar did not carry out the instruction but instead wrote the management of the Main Auditorium to lock up the place. For about three hours, Senate members were stranded outside the venue until the Minister of Education intervened and ordered that the venue be opened for Senate members to elect an acting VC.
Azeez, who is also the Secretary to the Governing Council during and after the crisis, stayed away from his office and was not part of the management team that welcomed the VC back to the campus after his reinstatement by the Federal Government.
The one-page letter titled: “Apology for the closure of the J. F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium on Monday, August 24, 2020.”
It reads: “I hereby tender my unreserved apology to the esteem members of the Senate of the University of Lagos on the role I played in the unintended locking out of members of Senate during the emergency meeting held on Monday, August 24th, 2020.
“I want to place on record that I value and respect the Senate as an institution and the individual members of Senate in their respect capacities. Having come to the realisation that my action must have offended Senate members, I hereby apologise to all Senate members.
“May I also use this medium to assure the Senate that I remain loyal, committed and resolute to the Senate and management of the University of Lagos in the daily execution and discharge of my duties.” (Daily Sun)
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