Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe

…asks Soyombo, others to be put on notice

Legal battle will commence on Tuesday at the National Industrial Court (NIC), Lagos in the case filed by Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe against his removal as Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos by the Governing Council.

Ogundipe had sought an exparte injunction to restrain the Defendants from removing him, but  honourable Justice I. J Essien refused to entertain the application and directed the defendants to be put on Notice.

The parties have since been served and the matter has been fixed for Tuesday, 25th of August 2020.

It would be recalled that on the 12th August 2020, Professor Ogundipe wrote a formal letter to Human Rights Lawyer, Mike Ozhekhome, SAN instructing him to challenge his purported removal as Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos.

Professor Ogundipe indeed carried out his threat of a legal action. On Monday 17th of August 2020.

He filed an action at the National Industrial Court in Suit No: NICN/LA/D18/2020 dated 14th August 2020.  In that action  Professor Oluwatoyin. T. Ogundipe sued as Defendants,(1) University of Lagos,(2) Council,(3) Senate, (4)Dr Babalakin,(5) Registrar  and (6) Professor Theophilus Soyombo, the Acting Vice Chancellor appointed by Council.

This action was however not filed by Mike Ozhekhome, SAN, but by Tayo Oyetibo, SAN and Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN. In witness statement on Oath personally deposed to by Professor Ogundipe, he claimed that he was not given fair hearing, and that the action of Council did not follow due process.