The suspended Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Dr. Wale Babalakin, on Thursday, appeared before the special visitation panel constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari, to look into activities causing a crisis in the university.
All the four staff unions in the university, namely: the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), as well as National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) were also appeared.
They all appeared to tell the panel headed by Prof Tukur Sa’ad what they know about the crisis with the view of helping the panel in its findings and recommendations that will lead to stability and permanent peace in the university, which is ranked third best at the moment in Nigeria by The Time Higher Education World University Ranking on Wednesday.
Babalakin arrived at the Senate Chamber of the university which serves as the sitting venue for the panel around 8.45 am and left at about 1.08 pm.
He refused press interview on the premise that nobody has talked to journalists on the issue on ground since the panel commenced sitting on Monday.
He said, “I have only come to make my own presentation before the pane and nobody has addressed the press about their encounters with the panel since it started sitting.”
On his part, the Chairman of ASUU of the branch, Dr Dele Ashiru, while going to make the union’s presentation before the panel, said Babalakin came to campus in his personal capacity and not as the chairman of governing council of the university.
He said even at that, the union position about Babalakin remained until the congress says otherwise.
However, both SSANU and NASU, which have also appeared before the panel did so jointly and on the platform of Joint Action Committee while the two others made their presentations separately.
The panel has two weeks to deliver.
