The Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has named Prof. Omololu Soyombo as the acting Vice Chancellor of the institution.
The institution’s Registrar, Oladejo Azeez, broke the news, in a statement.
The development came less than 24 hours after the Governing Council announced the removal of Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor during its emergency meeting, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Prof. Ogundipe dismissed reports of his removal, maintaining that he still remains the varsity’s Vice Chancellor.
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But in a follow-up statement, Azeez asked the public to disregard his claim, adding that he was “lawfully removed”.
“My attention has been drawn to a document circulating under the hand and signature of the former Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS. The letter purports to deny his removal by the Governing Council of University at its Emergency Meeting of Wednesday, August 12, 2020,” the statement read.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I am in my capacity as Registrar and Secretary to Council the only custodian of the minutes of Council and the authorizing officer on behalf of Council to issue official statements pertaining to all Council Affairs.
“Members of the public are hereby advised to totally disregard the statement attributed to the said former Vice-Chancellor.
“The position remains that he was lawfully removed by the Governing Council at a meeting fully attended by all council members.
“I also wish to use the opportunity to inform members of the public that Council at the said meeting duly appointed Professor Theophilus Omololu Soyombo of The Faculty of Social Sciences, the University of Lagos as Vice-Chancellor of the University in an acting capacity.”
Prof. Soyombo is a professor of Sociology at UNILAG.
He is a former Managing Director at University of Lagos Consult and former Dean faculty of Social Sciences.
He was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on September 6, 1956.
He attended Owu Baptist Day School, Abeokuta.
He had his secondary education at Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta; and Abeokuta Grammar School.
He studied at the University of Lagos between 1974 and 1977.
He obtained his masters degree in Sociology from the University of Essex, England.
As the Human Development Initiatives notes, he is also a consultant sociologist for various institutions and Government agencies.
He is a member of the Nigerian Anthropological and Sociological Association and member Integrated Transport Initiative.
One of his areas of specialisation is sociology of deviant behaviour in youths.