Following the Federal Government’s directive on Friday that the University of Lagos Senate should nominate an acting vice-chancellor, the newly appointed acting vice-chancellor, Prof Omololu Soyombo, has stepped down.
The governing council, led by pro-chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin, had appointed Soyombo 10 days ago after it sacked Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
But Soyombo, in a statement on Saturday, said it was necessary for him to step down because the government had directed the University Senate to nominate an acting vice-chancellor for the university.
“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, August 21, 2020.
“The government also directed the University Senate to nominate an acting vice-chancellor for confirmation by the governing council. With this, I am stepping down with immediate effect as acting vice-chancellor,” he said.
Soyombo urged all the staff members and students of the institution to continue to go about their business in a peaceful manner.
He said, “I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all the members of staff and our dear students, the staff unions, the alumni and the general public for their wonderful support and cooperation in the past 10 days since my appointment as an acting vice-chancellor of the university on August 12, 2020.
“As I noted in my address to a cross-section of the staff members on August 21, 2020, I accepted the offer to serve as a call to service, with the objective of restoring peace and stability to 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.”
