The convocation ceremonies of the University of Lagos, Akoka, slated for next Monday to Thursday, have been suspended.
A statement by the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday stated that the management regretted the inconvenience the development might cause the fresh graduates and their families.
The Vice-Chancellor of the varsity, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, had on Monday announced that 13,489 graduates would receive degrees, diplomas and certificates at the convocation.
But the DSA, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, said the ceremony would no longer hold.
When our correspondent demanded the reason for the suspension, he said, “I don’t know myself.”
However, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, UNILAG branch, Dr Dele Ashiru, said the suspension was due to the disagreement between the varsity management and the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin.
Ashiru explained that Babalakin had written to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to say he was not carried along in the convocation programme.
The minister was said to have written the National Universities Commission and the varsity was asked to suspend the programme.
The ASUU said, “Our union condemns in the strongest terms the unilateral postponement of the convocation of the University of Lagos based on the overbloated ego of the pro-chancellor. It is indeed worrisome that the Ministry of Education will accede to an evil demand to postpone the convocation of a first-generation university on the complaints of a man who only wants his ego to be massaged.”
Babalakin did not take his calls and had yet to respond to a text message as of press time.