Victoria Ojugbana, Lagos
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday officially swore in a 10-man full visitation panel for the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, to identify the challenges in the state-owned institution and proffer solutions to them.
Speaking at the event, which was held at the Government House, Marina, Sanwo-Olu said the newly constituted Full Visitation Panel of LASU “further demonstrates the government’s commitment to making LASU one of the best universities in the world in terms of quality research, pedagogical and administrative excellence, as well as industrial harmony.
“This Full Visitation Panel is being inaugurated based on the recommendation of the Professor Bamitale Omole-led LASU Vice-Chancellorship Special Visitation Panel, which was constituted to resolve the issues that trailed the appointment of the university’s 9th vice-chancellor.”
Members of the panel are Prof. Rahmon Bello – Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (Chairman); Prof. Dipo Kolawole – Former Vice-Chancellor, Ekiti State University (Member); Prof. Ebun Adejuyigbe – Professor of Medicine (Member); Prof. Joseph Ajienka – Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt. (Member); Ayo Ogunruku – Former Registrar, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (Member).
Others are Lawal Pedro SAN – Former Solicitor General, Lagos State (Member);
Ibrahim Olaniyi Aponmade- Former Bursar, University of Ibadan (Member);
Wale Ayodeji – Former Director of Works & Physical Planning OAU; Paul Kalejaiye and Omoloye Yemisi – Director, (Investigation), Inspection and Monitoring Department, Office of the Special Adviser on Education (Secretary to the Panel).
Sanwo-Olu, who expressed confidence that members of the panel will justify the trust reposed in them, added that the seasoned professionals, “with their experience in the education sector and impressive track records of excellence, will be objective and meticulous in executing this critical assignment.”
The Special Visitation Panel, according to him, “recommended the immediate inauguration of a Full Visitation Panel to holistically assess LASU’s administrative process, its academic programmes, finances, projects, staff welfare, industrial harmony, progress and challenges in order to ascertain if the university is being run in accordance with relevant Laws and the objectives/vision of its founding fathers.
Sanwo-Olu’ stated that as an “Administration, which places a premium on good governance, today’s inauguration of the Full Visitation Panel is a fulfilment of our promise to implement all the recommendations of the Vice-Chancellorship Special Visitation Panel.”
According to him, the terms of reference of the LASU Full Visitation Panel shall include: “To inquire into the level of implementation of the White Paper on the last Visitation Panel Report of 2009;
“To evaluate the quality of leadership in the university in terms of the roles of the governing councils, the vice-chancellors and other principal officers since the last Visitation Panel;
“Examine the financial management of the university including statutory allocations and internally generated revenue over the recommended period and determine whether it was in compliance with appropriate regulations, statutes, acts and laws of the university; and Investigate the application of funds, particularly special grants and subventions for accreditation exercises, TETFUND and loans meant for specific projects in order to determine the status of such projects and their relevance for further funding.
Others are to “Determine the adequacy or otherwise of staff and examine the quality of its staff development programmes in the context of emerging changes and development in the global arena;
“Examine compliance with the law and extant regulations of the university in terms of promotion, welfare, and disciplinary procedures/ measures for both staff and students;
“Determine the relationship between the university and the various statutory bodies it interacts with according to its law for the purpose of supervision, planning, finance, discipline, guidance and any other relationships with the Governing Council, the National Universities Commission, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, the Office of the Special Adviser on Tertiary Education as well as the Visitor to the University.
