This is as the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has kicked against the development, describing it as an attempt to militarise the institution by “an individual.”
There is palpable tension at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, on Monday morning, as 15 hefty men in black attire stormed the university campus and positioned themselves around the Governing Council Chamber, venue of the scheduled special council meeting.
This is as the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has kicked against the development, describing it as an attempt to militarise the institution by “an individual.”
The registrar of the university, Mr. Oladejo Azeez, a lawyer, had on Thursday evening issued a notice of emergency meeting scheduled to hold on Monday and Tuesday to council members.
The notice, which was later changed to ‘special meeting,’ was according the registrar at the instance of the council chairman, Mr. Wale Babalakin. He listed issues to be discussed at the meeting to including the raging Mr. Saminu Dagari-led committee’s report on expenditure of the university between May, 2017 and September 2018.
Other items on the agenda include the report of panel set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the institution’s library, which was under construction, Mr. Babalakin’s action of issuing queries to the allegedly indicted university management members including the vice-chancellor, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
But as early as 8a.m ahead of the meeting scheduled to hold by 10a.m, strange faces numbering 15, who wore black attire had taken strategic positions between the council chamber and the university’s auditorium.
According to the university’s chief security officer, Mr. Sunday Alao, the ‘strange men’ had told him they were invited by the chairman of the university’s governing council- Mr. Babalakin, to provide private security.”
Alao said; “Their leader, who said his name is Lateef told me they are men of K-Square, a private security company, and that they were invited by Mr. Babalakin to provide private security on the campus.
“I simply told them that they would be held responsible if anything untoward happens to any of our students, staff and any other person in the university community.”
The chairman of ASUU on the campus, Dele Ashiru described the development as absurd, strange and draconian.
“This is most unacceptable. The pro-chancellor cannot invade our campus with this kind of military mentality,” Ashiru said.
Efforts to reach the university’s vice-chancellor were unsuccessful as calls to his number were not picked as at the time of filing this report.