Education
UNILAG Senate meets to choose acting VC
The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) is presently meeting to choose an Acting Vice-Chancellor despite the institution’s Registrar, Oladejo Azeez sending an email to Senate members to wait for further clarification on their assignment.
This follows President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on Friday that due process should be followed – which is that the Senate should elect an Ag. VC as opposed to the Governing Council doing so.
The President also asked the Council-appointed Ag. VC, Prof. Theophilus Soyombo to step down
In a mail titled: “Notice to All Senate members”, Oladejjo Azeez, who has been an ally of the Governing Council chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin, said no meeting had been summoned.
Babalakin and the embattled VC the Council removed, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, were asked to recuse themselves from the affairs of the University until the Visitation panel set up to look into the university’s affairs concludes its investigation.
Oladejo’s mail reads: “This is to inform all Senate members that no meeting of the Senate has been summoned.
“Members should await proper Notice of Meeting after the Federal Government of Nigeria has clarified some issues germane to the meeting.”
The Registrar also signed a letter addressed to the Head, Auditorium Management Unit, J.J.F Ade Ajayi Auditorium, University of Lagos and pasted around the main auditorium, venue of the Senate meeting, instructing the official not to make any facility available for the Senate meeting for the same reason.
It reads in part: “It follows that you do not make any of your facilities available for any meeting until otherwise advised.”
However, the Senate convened regardless.
A member of the Senate (names withheld) told The Nation that Oladejo was not a member of the Senate.
“Oladejo is not a member of the Senate. We are about to start in the Main Auditorium,” the source said
The source said the Senate would vote one of the Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola (DVC Development Services), or Prof. Ben Oghojafor (DVC Management Services) as Acting VC.
“Meeting is ongoing. We are waiting for ballot papers to vote for the Acting VC that is Prof Folasade Ogunsola and Prof Ben Oghojafor,” the source said.
The NATION
Education
Tax reform has inimical effect on TETFund, tertiary education – COEASU
Mariam Sanni
The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), has noted with serious concern the inimical effect of the proposed tax reforms of the Federal Government on Tertiary Education in Nigeria.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by COEASU President, Dr Smart Olugbeko.
According to Olugbeko, the tax reform is a dangerous ambush aimed at destroying public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
We strongly reject the aspects of the proposed tax administration which aims to withdraw or impede on the source of fund to Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
” Such injury, if allowed to stand, is bound to undermine the development of public tertiary education in Nigeria.
“TETFund is a brainchild of the struggles of academic staff unions in tertiary institutions led by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“Prior to the establishment of TETFund, infrastructure in tertiary institutions were in a shambles and government of Nigeria became clueless on the way forward until ASUU came up with a brilliant idea of a trust fund for the education sector,” he said.
Olugbeko expressed concern that no Nigeria government in the last two decades or more had committed up to 9 per cent of the annual budget to education despite the UNESCO recommendation that 26 per cent of the annual budget be dedicated to education.
He added that the aspect of the tax reform that allowed TETFUND to be stifled of its source of Fund would gradually ‘drag tertiary institutions into the stock market making them become capitalistic ventures for the highest bidders’.
“Except for TETFund which has become the spine and lifeblood of public tertiary education funding, Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education would have gone comatose.
“TETFund has been playing indispensable and exclusively vital role in the development of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, providing funding for infrastructure, research, teaching and learning facilities as well as staff development,” he added.
The president condermned the attack on TETFund without prejudice to the potential strengths of the proposed tax administration law in expanding the tax base and reinforcing compliance towards economic stimulation.
“Rather than killing TETFund through the purported tax reform, the federal government should strengthen and expand its revenue accrual sources with a view to sustaining the Fund’s commendable efforts in our institutions.”
He called on stakeholders in education including students, parents, educators, the civil society to join hands with the union in rejecting proposal in order to save public tertiary education.
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