Governor Makinde lacks constitutional power to sack Vice Chancellor, says university workers
Segun Showunmi in Ibadan
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) branch, Ogbomoso has declared that Governor Seyi Makinde has no constitutional right to sack the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Michael Ologunde.
Penpushing reports that it is recalled that the Governor through the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye in a letter dated April 16, 2021, has directed the Vice Chancellor of the institution to step aside until further notice.
The workers while faulting Makinde’s sack order argued that, the university was not an appendage of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Oyo State or the extension of the office of the Commissioner but a statutory body that has its establishment law as may be amended.
Penpushing further reports that the union after her branch executive emergency online meeting held on Sunday stated that the law of the university did not give power to administer the university to the commissioner but the Governing Council.
The statement by the branch Chairman Comrade Fajoye Oyelere pointed out that the power to appoint and terminate staff appointments is resided in the Governing Council and not the Visitor or his proxies including the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology.
Penpushing also reports that the union said that the letter did not categorically lay any allegation against the deposed Vice Chancellor other than, he should step aside and hand over to the next raking principal officer in the institution.
The union said that the purported letter signed by the Commissioner has no basis in law and can only generate animosity within the university community and between Oyo and Osun State, adding that the joint ownership status of the university was just severed in December 2020 and unfortunately the deposed Vice Chancellor is a vestige of the arrangement prior to the dismantling of the joint ownership status.
“The power to appoint and terminate staff appointments is resided in the Governing Council and not the Visitor or his proxies including the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology.”
Penpushing further reports that, the workers said that Ologunde can only be removed by the Governing Council but not by the Visitor or his proxy, adding that the Vice Chancellor is not a direct appointee of the Governor.
The union however pleaded with the Governor to rescind the directive as it is being executed and allow the rule of law to prevail under the principles of natural justice pending the open investigation of the Vice Chancellor by the Governing Council if need be.
“Our Union is not interested in who becomes the Vice Chancellor beyond the fact that we lobbied the last Governing Council to consider and give us a homegrown Chief Executive Officer of the University after more than 25years of existence.”
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