the acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, on Wednesday, pledged the cooperation of the institution with the Federal Government’s special visitation panel, which is expected to begin its investigations next week.

Ogunsola, who just arrived from Abuja, where she attended the inauguration of the visitation panel, told UGAMATV  that she was preparing for the panel.

She said, “There really won’t be much to do beyond the visitation panel which is what we will be dealing with. You know government just inaugurated the panel; we will be preparing for them and as soon as they start, it will more or less consume our time.

“We have to wait for their report and we move on from there.”

While speaking on the crisis in the institution, she said the campus was currently calm, adding that her plan was to change the narrative, rebuild UNILAG’s brand and move the school forward.

Ogunsola added, “The plan is, let’s start working to change the narrative; rebuild our brand and move forward. Most people in UNILAG are together; we are working closely. It’s just some of these bad stories coming out; these don’t beautify the UNILAG we know.

“We are hoping that in the next few weeks, people will see the real UNILAG we know and stop hearing the odd news. This is day two; I have to examine and understand what is going on beyond what we all know, and see what we can do to move towards improving that image.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Wednesday, inaugurated a special visitation panel to look into the crisis rocking UNILAG following the removal of its erstwhile VC, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and the suspension of the Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN).

The panel is expected to conclude its assignment and submit its report within two weeks.

Recall that the UNILAG Governing Council, led by the acting Chairman, Dr. John Momoh, confirmed Prof. Folasade Ogunsola as the acting Vice-Chancellor of the university on Tuesday.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who inaugurated the panel, headed by Prof. Tukur Sa’ad, on behalf of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), warned panel members against interfering with the activities of the university management.

He encouraged the stakeholders in the university to cooperate with the panel and to allow it to work unhindered.

Expressing regrets over the UNILAG crisis, the minister noted that the face-off had lingered in spite of several interventions by the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education, stakeholders and the National Universities Commission.

Adamu said despite these interventions, the crisis led to the removal of the VC by the Governing Council during its meeting on August 12, 2020.

He added, “Due process was alleged not to have been followed in the removal and appointment of the vice-chancellor and the acting vice-chancellor respectively.

“This led to widespread protests, outright rejection, and lack of acceptability of the acting vice-chancellor by the university community.”

Members of the panel, headed by Sa’ad, are Victor Onuoha; Prof Ikenna Onyido; Prof Ekanem Braide; Prof Adamu Usman; Chief Jimoh Bankole and the Secretary, Grace Ekanem.

Sa’ad promised that the panel would stick to its responsibility, noting that the members would justify the confidence reposed in them by the President.