Professorial corruption in the academia--- Unilag Senate's memorandum, a misleading oratory for the survival of the university system in Nigeria.

The Senate of Unilag in its submission to the Special Visitation Panel, displayed great scholarly endowment coupled with a legal master stroke. No doubt, the document will go for a good assessment as an academic exercise.

The down side of that piece was its silence on the serious issue, of corruption, that brought about the crisis, in the first instance. The document was rather harsh and vindictive on the perceived enemies of the Senate. Who are the enemies? Those guys who have vouched that corruption will not be allowed to destroy or kill, the brand, Unilag.

Frankly speaking, the Pro chancellor came to the University, under instruction, from the Visitor, with a definite mandate.

The proverb that says that "a chief installed and gives an assignment of a hawk, must not be timid of preying on chicken", is very relevant at this time. Dr. Babalakin, while exercising his authority as a Pro chancellor, detected financial malfeasance and arrested it. This is what the Senate is bringing out its legal arsenal to confront.

Dr Babalakin displayed patriotism, to the fatherland, by doing all within his powers, in the face of the stiff opposition, one of which the Senate of Unilag is, to take corrective measures to stop the slide into anomie by the University.

In recent past, at the Niger Delta University, the VC helped himself, with the University money, to the tune of N100m, to which the Council looked elsewhere. The summary was that the case was exposed, and the VC was removed along with the negligent Council. Similar financial infraction plagued University in Porthacourt, which also resulted into the removal of the VC and dissolution of the Council.

The argument of the Senate pontificated the Senate's role in the alleged financial malfeasance. Evidently, Senate members head the various money spinning Units where the financial recklessness are perpetrated. With this submission, that says or sees nothing to be wrong with corruption allegations, which, understandably, had been investigated and admitted to, for all intent and purposes, is a disservice to the fatherland. This Senate cares less if the University becomes extinct due to the extravagance of corruption, but rather concerns itself with keeping of the status quo, and its survival, by proclaiming due process.

This Senate must have been compromised. The VC is its chairman, if it can be this blatantly protective of its chairman, who had admitted committing the financial misdeeds, as to be vigorously championing the cause of due process, the University system is surely under siege. What is more, some officers indicted along with their chairman have refunded, partly, some of the monies traced to them. These are proofs that corruption allegations were true and real.

The Pro chancellor and chairman, Governing Council of University of Lagos had done the right thing by halting the progression of corruption in the University. The opposite stance of the Senate casts doubt on the probability of their being fair to the University system, were they to be involved in the investigation process.

Senate members, using the Universities Miscellaneous Act, 2003, now see themselves as the alpha and omega in the Universities. The Governing Council is also being seeing as an inferior organ compared to Senate.

The Registrar was given two conflicting orders from the two deputy vice Chancellors, to open the University Auditorium for them when the Senate was to meet. He needed to take precaution in the face of conflicting directives. Being on the side of caution, caused by the conflicting orders from the two DVCs, two leading members of the Senate, jostling for the position of Ag. VC, is now an offence worthy of the termination of the appointment of the Registrar, according to the Senate. This is sheer hypocrisy.

All certificates of the University of Lagos, like any other university, bears (As approved by the Senate). This is assaulting to the brand, University of Lagos. If good conduct has a question mark on the scholarship of the academia, what academic brand are we selling? Brilliance and corruption or Brilliance and good ambassadors of the citadel of learning? This position, of the Unilag Senate, is a misleading oratory to the posterity of the University of first choice and nation's pride.

The whole world is watching this, conspiratorial, intellectual display before history.

Any decision, on the crisis, that fails to address the issue of corruption, that was the genesis, but pays attention to the, latter day mantra of due process, is like paying attention, exclusively, to ringworm in a patient plagued with both ringworm and leprosy, simultaneously. Is leprosy not the principal disease? In this matter, the fight against corruption is more important.

Nobody raised the eye brow when THE GREEN PEN refused to comply with the dos and don't of the DUE PROCESS. Green pen had refused to observe/obey caution/warnings from due process before violating extant rules. HE WHO COMES TO EQUITY MUST COME WITH CLEAN HANDS.
You cannot genuinely appropriate what you cannot obey. Simplicitas.

Since the Senate is not coming to equity with clean hands, it is intellectually and legally instructive that such gesture has nullified the mandate of due process as a brand of defense. Seeking refuge on negation is in itself a negation of the negation of ideal on the reckless usage of green pen in institutional circles and international best practices.

Op go and sit down. Prof Pondei misappropriated 85 billion and he fainted while the poor VC just ate 37 million estacode and he is being vilified.