The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has faulted the composition of the visitation panel to the University of Lagos as directed by the visitor over what they described as not involving all stakeholders.
In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated August 24, 2020 and signed by the union’s president, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, the union said the special visitation panel with a preponderance of ASUU members, is an indication that the decisions of the Panel would be tampered with by ASUU.
The letter which was also copied Minister of Education and the Executive Secretary of Nigerian University Commission (NUC) reads in part: “It is our informed observation therefore, that a fair and unbiased Panel, representative of all stakeholders in the University system should have included at least a retired Registrar, a retired Bursar, and a prominent individual with undoubted integrity, who should be a former Pro-Chancellor and not a Professor, as Chairman of the Panel.
“With the present composition and membership of the Panel, the Federal Government may have unwittingly handed over the Panel to ASUU to return victory to its members and condemn all others.
“SSANU therefore calls for a re-composition of the Panel to reflect neutrality, fairness and proper representation and not using ASUU to probe itself as the situation currently is. The principle of natural justice is lost in the present composition of the Visitation Panel and it is totally condemned by SSANU.
“SSANU while not unconcerned about the principles of natural justice i.e. fair hearing and due process in the removal of Professor Ogundipe as Vice- Chancellor of University of Lagos is equally worried that the underlying allegations of fraud and corrupt practices seem to be lost due to technicalities.”
