LASU’s Governing Council demotes professor

Lagos State University

The Lagos State University‎ (LASU), Ojo, has announced the demotion of a lecturer, Olatunji Abanikannda, from professor to a senior lecturer over alleged lack of requisite papers and journals.

Abanikannda, a former Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics, was the immediate past Director, LASU External System (part-time programme)‎.

In 2014, he contested for the post of the Deputy ‎Vice-Chancellor but lost to Prof. Fidelis Njokanma.‎

The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, however, confirmed the demotion in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Fagbohun said the demotion of the lecturer was a decision taken by the governing council, adding that the university management had implemented it.

NAN reports that the university’s governing council decision followed a petition against the lecturer by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (‎ASUU), LASU chapter.

The union had petitioned the governing council, headed by Prof. Adebayo Ninolowo, alleging that the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. John Obafunwa, promoted the lecturer without due process.

A five-man panel‎ was consequently set up to investigate the allegations levelled against the lecturer.

Some concerned members of staff of the ‎university had also lodged complaints that Abanikannda was not qualified to‎ be a professor but was promoted by Obafunwa.

NAN reports that the panel, after several meetings and investigations, recommended the demotion of the lecturer.

It was gathered that the council also reprimanded the former vice-chancellor and the current ‎Registrar, Mr. Akinwunmi Lewis, for taking certain decisions contrary to the laid down rules and regulations ‎of the university.