By Ayowole Akintayo

The attention of the Concerned Stakeholders of the great University of Lagos has been drawn to a spurious and faceless write-up of one 'Azeez' of a supposed group called 'UNILAG Vanguard'. Silence, the age long saying goes, is the best answer for a fool, especially one in the clout of a faceless 'Alabi Azeez' who most likely has been hired to do this hatchet job; we strongly feel it is better to enlighten him and his rail-roaded group on what they don't know.

His argument was basically false and shows that he was merely paid to do his master's bidding. A simple showmanship of his failure and false allegations to satisy his master includes the purported trending twitter feed “#SavemyUnilag” between a gang of three persons, one would suspect of one in their repetitious style of writing in the comfort of his living room. We do advise his paymaster to demand for an immediate refund and not patronise phonies anymore. We sing at our better convenience and on behalf of your paymasters in collection of their refund at the Alabi Azeez; “Catch am Catch am, thief, thief, thief, thief, catch am, catch am, robber, robber”

UNILAG has always been known to be the best, even before the emergence of Professor Ogundipe, who was appointed by Dr. Wale Babalakin's led Council despite the fact that he was not the candidate with the best performance at the interview.

Ogundipe owes the world an explanation on how he mesmerised the Council Selection Board through the manipulative means by influencing the election of two representatives of Senate on the selection Board, made overture to one or two Council members which made the 5(five)-man panel headed by Babalakin a mere rubber stamp and other two resource persons in attendance were made mere passengers.

The Panel were forced to appoint the least qualified candidate in Ogundipe who had a Second class lower, least experience in Research and Teaching and a migrant Alumnus of University of Ife breed as against many distinguished Alumni cand Academics.

The University appointment proved bookmakers wrong and would haunt the University for a longtime with Ogundipe’s, mediocrity and assumption of powers coupled with his inexperience and gallivanting the globe for self-aggrandisement. Nobody has seen the so-called research grants but his cronies who are always globe-trotting.

The fund is also not made available to the Governing Council of the University of Lagos. The doldrums in SSANU Executive should be blamed on the Management led by Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor, who continues to harass and intimidate the interim government in which he has denied the release of hard-earned dues and refused further collection in the past Eighteen months to deny the body of finance and membership.

This is the grand-style of Ogundipe which his agents supervise to ensure SSANU is completely crippled. No sympathy for the indolent group for their refusal to confront the VC and wrestle SSANU from their master’s claws because of the largesse they get which led to the organising of a Family meeting to undermine the productive Babalakin Town Hall Meeting in 2018

References to MM2 and Lagos Ibadan express ways do not have anything to do with the performance of the Pro Chancelor as Chairman of the University Council. Nevertheless, to educate Alabi Azeez, it is worthy of note that the MM2 is a Build, Operate and Transfer whilst the Lagos Ibadan Expressway was suspended by the Federal Government. None were ever financed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, rather the Pro-chancellor should be compensated.

Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), before his present appointment, had twice served as the Pro-Chancellor of two different Federal Universities.

He has also served as Chairman of all Pro Chancellors in Nigeria.

With this huge experience and tested performance therefore, it is beyond any shadow of doubt that the Federal Government did not make any mistake in his appointment having taken cognizance of his ability to move a first class university like UNILAG forward.

Even the Vice Chancellor will readily attest to the huge financial contributions of Babalakin to faculties in the University. The pledge of the Pro-chancellor to donate 40 hectares of land to the University of Lagos after his several financial contributions should not be left to bad taste by the sponsored UNILAG VANGUARD who would pray to have the first slice of it upon crystallization.

The Pro-Chancellor has never collected his sitting allowances for Council meetings since assumption of office. He has only been playing his part cheerfully and sacrificially as the Chairman who believes in due process and strict adherence to the University's governing Act.

If anyone cares to know; the Council Sub-Committee that discovered the humongous financial irregularities comprised more of staff of the University of Lagos in its membership and is headed by a Professor of Public Sector Accounting. If the Vice Chancellor and his management team has the best of intentions; what stops him from seeking Council's scrutiny and approval according to UNILAG's establishing Act's stipulation? The idea being mooted by Alabi Azeez on the large funds in the account is a mere after thought, not even contemplated by the Ogundipe led Management to the Sub-committee as there was no mention of savings to build or reference to the University of Lagos Masterplan Or does this justify the approved budget of 2019 for cleaning services to the tune of Three Hundred and Sixty Four Million Naira (N364,000,000) and the proposed 2020 budget for cleaning services of Four Hundred and Eighteen Million Naira (N418,000,000) or the over bloated security Budget which far exceeds the entire fund for Academic Faculties and Administrative Department. Are the Cleaners better off than the academics and administrators despite the claim that the Vice Chancellor brought the University to "Number One in Nigeria and Eight in Africa". Monkey Dey work Baboon Dey chop....Yeye People!

The alarming justifications and comparisons in the Financial Reports by Alabi Azeez shows he lacks the basic understanding of expenditure and Income which a JSS 1 Student at International School Lagos should have a perfect understanding about.
It is only a rogue that will support the management's lawless attitude of keeping the accounts away from the supervisory authorities.

Whereas, Section 7 of the University Act is clear except where there is a deliberate intention to ignore or disobey.

Section 7 (1) says inter alia:

"Subject to the provisions of this Act relating to the Visitor, the Council shall be the governing body of the University and shall be charged with the general control and superintendence of the policy, finances and property of the University, including its public
relations".

The faceless writer may certainly need re-tutoring on clarity of interpretation of the section 7, if the willingness to learn is there. Once again, we are only apt to advise this lawless creature and a waste of further resources bereft of depth that the Section 5 University of Lagos Act stipulates the membership and composition of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos.
We have offered this response for him and others in his group to learn.

POSTPONEMENT OF CONVOCATION

On the postponement of 2019 Convocation;even the Vice-Chancellor know he was wrong. He was only trying to vindicate himself . The suggestion that the next Council meeting be held at the mainbowl of the University auditorium is quite laughable and a product of ignorance on civility, protocol and ethics.

Ayowole Akintayo is two time graduate of the University of Lagos and a Spokesperson for the Concerned Stakeholders of UNILAG.

He could be reached on WhatsApp via +234 808 218 7145