The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has been mandated by the Federal Government to postpone the school’s 51st convocation scheduled to commence on March 9. In a press statement that was released on the university’s website and signed by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Oladejo Azeez, Esq, it was learnt that there was no specific reason for the postponement.
The statement read, “The Management of the University of Lagos regrets to inform the general public that the 51st (2019) Convocation Ceremonies earlier scheduled to hold from Monday 9th to Thursday 12th March 2020, has been postponed.
“Any inconvenience occasioned by this postponement is highly regretted.”
However, our correspondent gathered that the Federal Ministry of Education ordered the university management to postpone its convocation.
A leaked memo showed that the Ministry of Education asked the National Universities Commission to instruct UNILAG to postpone the convocation over an allegation that the university’s Governing Council did not approve the programme.
The memo addressed to the Executive Secretary of the NUC, read, “The attention of the honourable minister has been drawn to the attached copy of a letter dated 2nd of March 2020 from the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr. B.O. Babalakin to the effect that the 2019 convocation ceremonies were not approved by the Governing Council in line with the laws of the University.
“I am too, therefore, request that you kindly advise the Vice-Chancellor to suspend the convocation and ensure full compliance with due process.”