The crisis bedeviling the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, is far from over as about 3,800 students of its external system are yet to receive their results, which are said to have been ready since March this year, according to sources close to the university.

This is because the Senate has been unable to meet and ratify the results, as required by the law governing the university. Initially, this was attributed to the then ongoing agitation by the unions – ASUU, NASU, SSANU, NAA­TI – that not only saw Prof. John Obafunwa driven away from the university but also the administra­tive blocks locked up and some fetish objects reportedly placed at their entrance. Some staff of the university management were also said to have been advised to stay away from the university prem­ises for their own safety.

But since the dissolution of the former university governing council by the state governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, and the re­constitution of a new one headed by Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo of the University of Lagos, the crisis seemed to have continued making it difficult for the Senate to sit and ratify the results of the affected students from the exter­nal system or campuses which for about four years now, had stopped admitting new students following the insistence of the National Universities Commis­sion (NUC).

Already, allegations are flying about Prof. Ninalowo dancing to the tune of the unions and doing everything to please them be­cause he too was a unionist, hav­ing served as Deputy Secretary of the UNILAG Chapter of ASUU between 1986 and 1993, and also Ex-officio of the same union be­tween 1993 and 1996.

“Without mincing words, La­gos State University, as I speak to you, is being run by the unions,” a source who does not want his name mentioned in print said. “Nobody is in charge. That is the simple truth. I stand to be controverted on this. The unions are doing whatever they like and efforts are being made to pacify them. The governing council is of the opinion that until they are able to satisfy all the demands of the unions, they are not going to do something or ask anybody to do something. Who is fooling who? I take some courses. As I speak to you, till this moment, I couldn’t take any of my courses.”

The same crisis made it im­possible for about 6,800 graduat­ing students to have their convo­cation in March this year. While about 6,000 were expected to have been awarded with bachelor degrees, about 800 would have been bestowed with post-gradu­ate diplomas, masters and doctor­ate degrees. But the current crisis which is said to be threatening security on the campus over an alleged threat by the affected stu­dents to take their grievances to the streets if the university Senate fails to meet and do the needful, is said to have been caused by the inability of the governing council headed by Prof. Ninalowo, to apply the university law which stipulates that in the absence of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor shall be Acting Vice Chancellor pending the ap­pointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor.

“With the expiration of the term of office of the outgone Vice Chancellor on 31st October 2015, and the inability of the Governing Council to invoke the relevant sections of the University Law in appointing an Acting Vice Chan­cellor, the university is gradually being pushed into unnecessary crisis,” the source said. “This is because the Deputy Vice Chan­cellor cannot perform certain functions unless he is appointed first as Acting Vice Chancellor of the university. Example of such functions is the convening of Sen­ate meetings or appointments and promotion meetings which are le­gally within the purview of the of­fice of Vice Chancellor. Even the Committee of Provosts, Deans and Directors meeting that is strictly legally within his purview cannot forge ahead on their deci­sions since the subsuming Senate meeting cannot be called by him.”

When contacted on the matter and asked if the crisis is respon­sible for the non-convening of the Senate meeting to ratify the results, Prof. Fidelis Njokamma, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin), said: “So you know there is crisis? The question I want to ask you is: how does the Senate sit and work satisfactorily when there is crisis?” Like Prof. Njokamma, Prof. Ninalowo was not disposed to commenting on the matter and on the allegations against him when contacted by Sunday Sun. “I cannot comment on the matter over the phone,” he said. Asked whether he would prefer to meet the reporter face to face, he firmly retorted: “no, I would not want to comment over the matter at this time. Thank you.”

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