BREAKING: UNILAG Senate appoints Folasade Ogunsola as new Acting Vice Chancellor

The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has elected the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of development services, Folasade Ogunsola, as the institution’s acting vice-chancellor.

Mrs Ogunsola,  is the first female to be so appointed in the history of the 58-year-old institution.

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 scored 135 votes to defeat her opponent and a deputy vice-chancellor in charge of management services, Ben Oghojafor, who scored 31 votes from among the senate members.

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

It will be recalled that President 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 facing the university.

In a statement issued on Friday to announce the president’s recommendations, the director of press at the federal ministry of education, Ben Goong, said that the panel would be inaugurated by the minister, Adamu Adamu, on Wednesday.

The Senate was also ahead of the panel’s inauguration, mandated “to immediately convene to nominate an acting vice-chancellor from amongst its members for confirmation by the governing council.”

Earlier, the university’s registrar, Oladejo Azeez, opposed the council meeting and the venue to be used, but the senate reportedly sought approval from the national universities commission (NUC) and the federal ministry of education before it commenced the process.

It was gathered that the meeting started with Professor Ogunsola briefing the Senate that the meeting was convened after due process was followed and due authority granted by both the NUC and the education ministry.

However, it was learnt that Mrs Ogunsola recused herself from anchoring the meeting, while the leader of the senate’s team to Abuja on Thursday, Chioma Agomo, was nominated to chair the meeting.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs Ogunsola, who doubles as the chairperson of Infections Control Africa Network, and member of the Lagos State COVID-19 task force, applauded the professors for entrusting her with what she tagged as a huge responsibility.

“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,” Mrs Ogunsola appealed.