The council/Senate selection committee on Monday interviewed nine Professors shortlisted for the LASU Vice Chancellor position at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) because the Senate Chambers at the main campus is still under lock since March 16.
At the close of submission of application, Daily Sun learnt that 14 Professors applied for the vacant VC position out of which nine were picked for the interview but the name of the immediate past VC, Prof Obafunwa was conspicuously missing from the list.
A breakdown of the nine Professors selected for the final interview by the Prof Adebayo Ninalowo-led governing council revealed that six are from LASU, one each from University of Lagos and Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye and an applicant from outside the country.
Among those shortlisted for the plum job include two former deputies VC, Prof Olatunji Bello from LASUCOM, Prof Senna Bakre from Faculty of Sciences, current Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof Abolade Adeniji, Prof Lanre Fagbhon, formerly of LASU now with UNILAG, Prof Babajide Elemo (Sciences), Prof Nurudeen Olasupo (Microbiology), Prof Hamidu Sanni (Islamic Studies), Prof Oki from Texas, USA and Prof S.A. Tella of OOU in the Department of Economics.
A governing council member who took part in the interview told our Correspondent that at the end of the exercise Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun, formerly of LASU Law Faculty and now with the University of Lagos Law Faculty came top, followed by Prof Sanni (Oyo state) of Islamic Studies Department, LASU and former LASU Deputy VC from LASUCOM, Prof Bello (married to a Lagosian) placed third.
After the interview, the names of the three best candidates would be sent to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to pick one as the 8th VC for LASU.
Investigations revealed that Prof Fagbohun is an Awori, from Akesan, Igando LCDA of Lagos state and that his dad is current the baale of Akesan Town. If appointed he would be the first VC from Awori descendant on whose ancestral land LASU presently occupy.
He was in the Faculty of Law, LASU as a Senior Lecturer but moved to UNILAG where he became a Professor of Law.
Prof Fagbohun was at different times a member of Senate of LASU, Head of Department of Business Law and later Department of Private and Property law, co-ordinator, Law Centre, LASU, co-ordinator the Department of Environmental Law and Allied Disciplines of the Centre for Environment and Science Education of LASU, Project Facilitator and Resource Person to the British Council, Committee on Ecology and Environment of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, United Nations Development Programme, the National Judicial Council; Environmental Rights Action & Friends of the Environment, Nigeria.
He has publications in local and international journals in the area of environmental law, and co-edited several books among which is a 25 chapter book on “Environmental Law Policy”, and another 31 chapter book on “Development and Reforms; Nigeria’s Commercial Law”. His latest work is an over 630-page book titled, “The Law of Oil Pollution and Environmental Restoration: A Comparative Review”
The three candidates are now engaged in a high-wire politics to ensure they are picked as the eighth Vice Chancellor of LASU. They are reaching out to those who matter in the state including traditional rulers.
The new Pro-chancellor and chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Prof Ninalowo, had earlier told our Correspondent that the selection process would be strictly on merit.
The council chairman in his first interview after his appointment on September 16 said the selection of a new VC would be based on the existing law as contained in the LASU 2004 edict.
He revealed that the governing council does not have a favoured candidate insisting the selection exercise would be based on LASU law and on competence.
The four staff unions equally stated that they would not interfere in the selection process as was the case during the last VC selection exercise but urged for transparency in the exercise.
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