Appoint Lagosian As LASU VC, Omo Eko Pataki tells Sanwo-Olu
A socio-cultural group, Omo Eko Pataki, has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to appoint a Lagosian as the Vice-Chancellor of the state-owned Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo.
The call was made in a statement on Wednesday by the Trustee of the group, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (retd).
The group also faulted the decision of the governor, who is also the Visitor to the university, to set up a Visitation Panel to probe the screening exercise conducted by the Council/Senate Selection Committee for candidates angling to become the next substantive VC of the institution.
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According to Olanrewaju, the impasse resulting from the screening exercise could best be described as self-inflicted
He pointed out that the committee had twice recommended candidates to the governor for the appointment and the governor had twice turned down the recommendations.
“The alleged Visitation Panel set up by Governor Sanwo-Olu to look into the self-inflicted impasse in the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor for Lagos State University, LASU, is needless, time-wasting and diversionary.
“The well-known norm in the appointment of all state universities’ Vice-Chancellor is to give the deserving, well-qualified indigene the opportunity to lead the state institution after all necessary screening processes must have taken place.
“The Governing Council of LASU had shortlisted well-distinguished and internationally-recognised four professors and forwarded same to the governor since early February.
“What then is this rigmarole? Why this deliberate attempt to sideline a native Lagosian to lead an institution set up by the legendary Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, for the sole purpose of creating opportunities for our professionals to rise in their various fields of academic endeavors?
“Sanwo-Olu’s position is puzzling and unacceptable. Governor Sanwo-Olu should do what is right, what is fair and what is just by immediately appointing the most qualified Lagosian native from the four names already on his table rather than engaging in rudderless shadow-chasing,” the group said.
Recall that the governor on Tuesday inaugurated a panel headed by Prof. Bamitale Omole, a former VC of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, to probe the activities of the committee and many other issues in the university.
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