Recall that SaharaReporters in 2017 extensively detailed how Ninalowo upon appointment started to make personal purchases and stash away funds from the university’s treasury for personal use.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, is reportedly under pressure to appoint some members of the Governing Council of the Lagos State University, who have in the past been linked with massive corruption in the institution.
SaharaReporters gathered that the governor was been coerced to return former Chairman of the council, Prof Adebayo Ninalowo, Sunday Ajose, an All Progressives Congress chieftain among others previously appointed by former governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, but who's tenure had expired since September 2019.
Recall that SaharaReporters in 2017 extensively detailed how Ninalowo upon appointment started to make personal purchases and stash away funds from the university’s treasury for personal use.
In 2019, findings showed that Ninalowo provided cover for the institution's Vice Chancellor, Olanrewaju Fagbohun, to divert the pension savings of workers into the purchase of exotic cars under the guise of preparing for accreditation.
After his cover was blown, he forced members of staff to swear oaths of secrecy to discourage them from speaking to members of the press.
The LASU branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities had also fingered Ninalowo and Ajose as masterminds of the dismissal of staff members, who petitioned other members of the Governing Council to investigate allegations of corruption against the duo.
The matter was never investigated until the end of the tenure of the Council.
Sanwo-Olu, who is aware of all these scandals, is reluctant to return any member of the immediate-past council but is under pressure to do so, sources told SaharaReporters.
"It has generated apprehension within the university, those lobbying for the return of Ninalowo and Ajose are said to be working on a backup plan to ensure a lackey council emerges at all cost to ensure the decisions of the past council and the administration of Fagbohun are not investigated.
"Fagbohun has barely six months left in office, and the non-composition of a new Governing Council is said to be the reason why his position cannot be advertised yet, even as intense lobbying has commenced for the seat," a source said.
"We just want Sanwo-Olu to get it right, LASU is lagging behind in infrastructure, we should be talking about infrastructure and innovation and this cannot happen when people who will loot the school are appointed,” the source added.
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