NIGERIA: President Bola Tinubu has appointed Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, a professor of botany and former vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, as the new board chairman of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Ogundipe’s administration of the federal university in Lagos between 2015 and 2019 was subjected to fraud investigations that indicted him.
“As NUC Chairman, Professor Ogundipe will oversee the regulatory body of the Nigerian university system, focusing on funding, global competitiveness and academic stability,” a statement by President Tinubu’s media aide Bayo Onanuga on the appointment reads.
Onanuga added that Tinubu expected the chairman to “sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system, in alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, by advancing quality, access, and integrity in the education sector”.
Presidential investigations and auditing of the university’s books while Ogundipe was in charge indicted him and there was no public evidence resolving the issues in his favour.
Wale Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was the chairman of the university’s Governing Council at the time. The council constituted a panel to probe Ogundipe’s tenure following fraud allegations.
Saminu Dagari, representing the federal government, chaired this panel, and they sat between 2018 and 2019, looking into the university’s financial records.
They arrived at an outcome and the governing council sacked Ogundipe.
The tension within the school grew bolder and President Muhammadu Buhari reinstated Ogundipe without an effort to investigate the accusations against him.
In 2020, Buhari set up a fresh panel led by Tukur Sa’ad, a former vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, to review what led to the sack.
In protest, Babalakin resigned his position as council chairman.
While the second panel had recommended his reinstatement, it did not overrule the initial allegations against Ogundipe. Sa’ad opposed the decision, saying the panel was not asked to look at the merits of those allegations.
“It did not mean [Ogundipe] should be absolved of all wrongdoing. If among the faults enumerated in the report, the government believes he should be sacked, that does not contradict our recommendations,” Sa’ad said in an October 2020 letter cited by Premium Times.
For the third time, the government set up another panel led by Martins Agwai, a former Chief of Army Staff, to probe the same issues. But the findings from this endeavour were not released publicly.
Premium Times obtained and examined it, however.
Agwai’s findings were consistent with the first panel’s work. It indicted the professor of “executing multi-million procurement fraud and contract splitting”.
Dagari, the chairman of the first panel, testified before the Agwai panel and revealed that Ogundipe bought two official vehicles for N52 million, an amount beyond the university’s tender board limit. He also paid N2 billion without prior approval of the governing council.
The report also accused Ogundipe of falsifying an interview process to favour a candidate of his choice.
The panel wrote that Ogundipe did not deny those allegations, but he defended himself. However “there appears to be no valid justification in law for all his defences”.
Foundation for Investigative Journalism
REJOINDER TO THE APPOINTMENT OF PROF. OLUWATOYIN OGUNDIPE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION (NUC)
The recent appointment of former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, as Chairman of the National Universities Commission (NUC) has raised serious concerns within sections of the Nigerian academic community.
At a time when the Federal Government continues to proclaim a commitment to transparency, accountability, and the Renewed Hope Agenda, this appointment sends a troubling signal to many stakeholders in the university system.
Several allegations of administrative misconduct and corruption were made against Prof. Ogundipe during and after his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos. Some of these matters reportedly formed part of petitions submitted to anti-corruption agencies and government authorities. Questions have also been raised concerning the findings of various investigations and the recommendations of visitation panels constituted to examine governance issues within the University.
Given these unresolved concerns, the Federal Government owes Nigerians, particularly the university community, an explanation.
If Prof. Ogundipe has been investigated and completely exonerated, the Federal Government should make public all relevant reports, including the Presidential Visitation Panel Report and any White Paper arising therefrom, so that Nigerians can independently assess the facts.
Transparency demands nothing less.
The appointment of individuals to strategic positions such as the NUC should not merely satisfy political considerations; it must inspire confidence within the academic community and reinforce public trust in our institutions.
The NUC is the apex regulatory body responsible for maintaining standards, promoting integrity, and providing leadership for Nigeria’s university system. The occupant of such an office should be above reproach or, at the very least, free from unresolved controversies that could undermine the credibility of the institution.
The Federal Government must appreciate that appointments are not merely administrative decisions; they are powerful statements of values.
What message does this appointment send to university administrators, lecturers, students, and the wider Nigerian public?
Does it suggest that unresolved allegations and pending questions regarding public service records are inconsequential?
For those of us who have previously submitted petitions concerning certain actions during Prof. Ogundipe’s tenure, it is imperative that the relevant anti-corruption agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), be allowed to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without interference or hindrance.
The issue at stake transcends the personality of Prof. Ogundipe.
It concerns the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system.
It concerns the credibility of public institutions.
It concerns the commitment of this administration to accountability and due process.
Accordingly, we call on the Federal Government to:
•Publish all relevant reports, findings, and White Papers relating to investigations into the administration of the University of Lagos during Prof. Ogundipe’s tenure.
•Clarify publicly whether all allegations and petitions against Prof. Ogundipe have been fully investigated and resolved.
•Ensure that anti-corruption agencies are allowed to independently investigate any outstanding matters without political interference.
•Reconsider the appointment if significant unresolved issues remain.
Nigeria’s universities deserve leadership that not only possesses academic credentials but also commands unquestionable public confidence.
The Renewed Hope Agenda must not be perceived as a Renewed Impunity Agenda.
Signed:
Engr. Babatunde Oloko
Former Director of Works & Physical Planning, University of Lagos. Concerned Stakeholder in the Nigerian University System.
