Lagos – The Senate of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos, has stopped the confernnment of a honorary doctorate degree award on Dr Wale Babalakin, a former Pro-chancellor and chairman,Governing Council of the university.
Aside this, the Senate also resolved that Dr Babalakin, should not be considered for any recognition or honour by UNILAG Senate now or in the future.
The decision to sanction Dr. Babalakin, who resigned in August 2020 as UNILAG council chairman during the crisis that engulfed the university in 2020 was taken by the Senate at its meeting on December 22, 2021.
At the meeting, the Senate voted to support a motion that the university would never confer any honorary award or recognition on Babalakin, based on his role in the crisis.
However, an attempt, through a motion to cancel his Law degree was stepped down, by the Senate.
Babalakin had a face-off with UNILAG’s Senate when the council under his watch, in August 2020, removed the vice-chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, without following the due process.
The Senate not only rejected the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Omololu Soyombo, it insisted that Prof. Ogundipe remained UNILAG’s Vice Chancellir.
It wrote letters to the Presidency and the National Universities Commission (NUC) faulting the removal of Ogundipe.
In reaction to the letter and the Special Visitation Panel’s recommendations, President Muhammadu Buhari reinstated Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor.
It was learnt that the Senate meeting on Wednesday December 22, 2021, was physical and virtual and had 192 members in attendance.
According to a professor, the Senate agreed that its standing order be reviewed.
Senate then constituted a committee for the process, which would recommend guidelines for acceptance of appointment.
The senior academic staff disclosed that the Senate agreed to lay to rest the case of the Registrar over the crisis that rocked UNILAG under Babalakin-led governing council.
The source said UNILAG Senate acknowledged that the actions of Dr. Babalakin from 2017 to 2020 when the government dissolved the council undermined the position of Senate and the university.
