FG Reacts To Media Reports Indicting UNILAG

The Federal Government has dismissed media reports that a Presidential visitation panel report had indicted the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) following the leadership crisis that engulfed the university in 2020.

A statement by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Ben Bem Goong, noted that the alleged indictment of Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, and exoneration of the former Governing Council Chairman, Dr Wale Babalakin contained in a report in the media were false and not representative of the content of the real visitation panel report.

The statement reads: “The Ministry wishes to state in very categorical terms that these claims are false, unfounded, and to say the least, mischievous, as they have no bearing with the report submitted by the Panel, which was chaired by a reputable Four-Star General, Martin Luther Agwai (Rtd), one of the finest Officers of the Nigerian Army.

“It will be recalled that the 7-Man Presidential Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos submitted its report along with others to the Hon. Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu on 3 August, 2021 and not 7th of September, 2 021 as claimed in the publications.

“Government is in the process of setting up White Paper committees to address all the findings and recommendations of the panels, including that of UNILAG in a holistic manner.

“Government had earlier issued a White Paper on the report of the 2020 Special Presidential Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos which culminated in the dissolution of the former Governing Council and the reinstatement of the Vice-Chancellor.

“Stakeholders and the general public are, therefore, advised to ignore in totality, these false, malicious and self-serving publications as well as their orchestration on social and electronic media while we await the former release of the government White Paper on the panel’s reports.”