By Segun James
Following the deadlock over the selection of a new vice chancellor for the state-owned Lagos State University, the state House of Assembly has ordered its Committee on Tertiary Education headed by Hon. Ajani Owolabi to investigate the cause of the delay and report back to the Assembly in a week time.
The matter was raised as Urgent Matter of Public Importance by the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, during the plenary yesterday.
According to Agunbiade, “LASU is currently having an acting vice chancellor, as a substantive VC is yet to be selected for the institution.”
The Majority Leader stated that a committee was raised towards the end of the tenure of the last Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, but that the committee was dissolved because one of the three shortlisted candidates did not have doctorate as he was said to have possessed just a university fellowship.
He said when another committee was raised, they did an advertisement and stated that someone with fellowship of an institution could apply for the office.
The Majority Leader added that nine persons were shortlisted, but that the second process has also been put on hold.
He said: “Now, LASU does not have a VC or Governing Board. It has dropped from number two in the country to number five university. Something must be done urgently about the selection of a new VC for the university.
“The House Committee on Education should be asked to commence investigation into the issues in LASU and come up with recommendations.
“The Lagos State governor should also see into the issues surrounding the selection of a vice chancellor for the institution.”
Speaking on the matter, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, said the process of handing over from one administration to another has always been a problem in the institution.
Obasa said: “We recently eulogised LASU for its feats, but unfortunately, the issue of succession to draw the institution back.
“They have regulations on how a VC should be selected. They did a test for the people shortlisted for the office and their marks were very close to one another.
“They should have selected one of the shortlisted candidates. But I believe that there is more to what is happening in the institution despite what we see.”
The Speaker then ordered the Assembly Committee on Education (Tertiary) to investigate the matter and report back to the House in a week.
