Sanwo-Olu cancels appointment process for ninth LASU VC

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has cancelled the ongoing process for the appointment of ninth vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU).

The governor, who is visitor to the university, also ordered a fresh process that would terminate in 45 days.

A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, on Friday stated that the “decision on the cancellation came after a thorough investigation and stakeholders’ engagement, which were necessitated by various petitions against the selection process”.

The statement added, “Governor Sanwo-Olu was inundated with petitions arising from the selection process of the vice-chancellor by the governing council. After a thorough evaluation and investigation of the various complaints, Mr. Governor, in his capacity as the visitor to the university ordered the cancellation of the process.

“The outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, has also been directed to convene an emergency Senate meeting for the purpose of appointing one of the deputy vice  chancellor, who is not a candidate in the cancelled selection process as acting vice chancellor from Monday, January 11, 2021, when the tenure of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor Fagbohun, expires.

“The governor further directed that the Senate should select among its members, a protem chairman to superintend the meeting and conduct of the election of acting vice chancellor.”

A joint selection committee of the Senate and Council was set up by the university to interview candidates for the position.

The committee had submitted names of three  candidates it considered the best for the job for onward transmission to the visitor of the university for the final selection of the overall best candidate.

But the LASU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities kicked against the selection process in a letter dated January 1, 2021, and signed by its Secretary, Tony Dansu, and Assistant Secretary, Adeolu Oyekan. The union alleged that some of the candidates lacked the requisite qualifications to succeed the incumbent VC.

“It would appear that the selection committee was unable to abide by the conditions stipulated in the advertisement for the position of vice chancellor, as candidates who did not meet some of the clearly stated criteria (i.e., possessing 10 years post-professorial experience and having supervised PhD theses), scaled the shortlisting stage and even made it to the three-person list reportedly submitted to the Visitor,” the union stated.

As advertised by the committee for the post, a successful applicant must be a professor of at least 10 years, with a track record of academic excellence of local and international repute including supervision and mentoring of postgraduate students.

More than 18 professors from about 10 universities applied for the job.

One of the selected three candidates was said not to be qualified because his entry qualification to the university was the Fellowship of the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College and not Ph.D.

Another candidate was said not to be a professor of at least 10 years as stated in the advertisement for the job.