The newly appointed acting Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof Omololu Soyombo, has stepped down “with immediate effect”.
The governing council led by the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin, had appointed Soyombo last week after it sacked Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
However, the management crisis rocking the institution deepened, leading to the presidential intervention on Friday as the Federal Government directed the Pro-chancellor of the University and the Acting VC to step aside.
Soyombo, in a statement on Saturday, said it was necessary he did so because the government had directed the UNILAG Senate to nominate an acting VC for the varsity.
“The news of the setting up of a Special Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos by the Federal Government was received in the evening of Friday, 21st August 2020. The government also directed the University Senate to nominate an Acting Vice-Chancellor for the University, for confirmation by the Governing Council. With this, I am stepping down, with immediate effect, as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University,” he said.
Soyombo urged all staff and students of the institution to continue to go about their lawful activities in a peaceful manner.
“I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all members of staff and our dear students, the staff unions, alumni and the general public for their wonderful support and cooperation in the past ten days since my appointment as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University on 12th August 2020.
“As I noted in my address to a cross-section of staff on 19th August 2020, I accepted the offer to serve as a call to service, with the objective of restoring peace and stability in the university.
“It is my prayer that the peace and stability that we so much need and desire at this time be restored very quickly, so that the University of Lagos can continue to march on as the University of First Choice and the Nation’s Pride,” he concluded.
