UNILAG senate elects first female acting V-C

The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, on Monday announced Folasade Ogunsola as the new acting vicechancellor.

Ogunsola until this announcement was the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of development services and the first female to be so appointed in the history of the University of Lagos.

She defeated her opponent and a deputy vicechancellor in charge of management services, Ben Oghojafor, with a wide margin. She scored 135 votes as against Oghojafor’s 31 among the senate members.

A total of 167 professors were accredited for voting while one vote was voided.

Ogunsola, a professor of medical microbiology and was the first female provost of the university’s college of medicine, Idi-araba.

Ogunsola’s election followed the request made by the visitor to the vniversity, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, August 21, 2020.

Buhari had intervened in a lingering crisis between the governing council of the university and its senate when he ordered the suspension of the acting vicechancellor appointed by the governing council, Omololu Soyombo.

The President had also suspended Wale Babalakin as Pro Chancellor and Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, vice chancellor of the university, pending the report of a visitation panel set up by him.

The special visitation panel to the University of Lagos has Tukur Saad as chairman. Other members include Victor Onuoha, Ikenna Oyindo, Ekanem Braide, Adamu Usman, Jimoh Bankole and Grace Ekanem.