The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Prof. Omololu Soyombo, yesterday addressed members of staff of the university, promising to give their welfare top priority and leaving the university better than he met it.

Soyombo, who stood on the foyer of the university’s Senate Building, appealed to all to sheathe their swords and join him to restore the lost glory of the institution.

He told the workers that he had lived most of his life in UNILAG as a student and later a lecturer and would never do anything that would tarnish its image or bring it into disrepute.

“I thank all members of staff and our great students for your support. I have received messages from workers and students expressing solidarity with me. We cannot do it alone, we must work as a team. I see my appointment as a call to serve our great university.

“I have lived most part of my life here at UNILAG. I have been here for over 46 years. First as a student. This Is Where I bagged my degrees and I have worked for years as a lecturer and served in many capacities. I have been Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, head of Academic Planning and head of the UNILAG Consult. I have never been found wanting.

‘I am appealing to all workers whether teaching or non-teaching to cooperate with us to move our university forward. I am also a member of ASUU. I see my appointment as a call to serve UNILAG. This is a critical period in the life of our dear university and all hands must be on deck to move this place forward.

“I believe in the prudent management of resources so that we can take care of everyone, no matter how little. We are here because of our students and we are already missing them. We are working on a plan that all necessary facilities that will make them resume in a safe environment to be in place before resumption. We want a situation that our students will resume 24 hours after the government opens all universities,” he said.

Commenting on why none of the deputy VCs was appointed as acting VC, Soyombo explained that at the time of his appointment, none of the DVCs had been confirmed in office by the Council.

Soyombo said though his appointment would be for six months, he would try as much as possible to make a positive impact on the institution.

Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has also backed out of the resolution to keep supporting the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.

The new position of the association was contained in a statement made public on Wednesday.

It was signed by the Chairman, Olusola Sowunmi and five others.

In the message, the association said it was distancing itself from all that happened on Thursday, August 13, 2020.

Recall that NASU. SSANU, ASUU and NAAT last Thursday signed a resolution rejecting Soyombo and supporting Ogundipe.

NASU had on Tuesday backed out of the same agreement.

Meanwhile, the UNILAG chapter of ASUU has said it is not changing its position on Soyombo’s appointment.

The Chairman, Dr Dele Ashiru, who commented on the withdrawal of SSANU and NASU from the earlier agreement, said ASUU would not mind being the last man standing on the issue.

According to him, the irregular manner Ogundipe was removed from office and the appointment of Soyombo should not be overlooked.

“As far as we are concerned, our position remains the same. The process leading to the purported removal of Prof Ogundipe and the appointment of a so-called Acting VC is not known to the book of the university. No academic staff worth his salt would want to be a beneficiary of illegality.

“Senate is the highest decision making organ on academic matters and it has spoken and it remains the same,” he said.

Recall that the Governing Council of UNILAG removed Ogundipe as the VC last week and appointed Soyombo into office in an acting capacity.

Ogundipe has gone to court to challenge the matter.