By Adesina Wahab

FOLLOWING the outcry that greeted the allegation of certificate racketeering against some academic and non-academic staff of the Lagos State University, LASU, the management of the institution has removed Prof. Tajudeen Olumoko as the Dean of Student Affairs and replaced him with a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Dr. Abiodun Fatai-Abatan.

Also, Olumoko has been queried and asked to explain his role in the whole saga.

This is just as a source told Vanguard that he may be suspended, pending the conclusion of an investigation into the matter.

The development, Vanguard gathered, followed the story by an online medium which indicted some staff of the university in the illegal act.

The sting operation that was carried out to nail those involved in the act was carried out in 2020 following the report by the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, that some persons were selling degree certificates of the university for millions of naira.

However, an official statement on the development is yet to be released by the management, but a source in the school confirmed the development.

“The management will officially speak on the matter soon,” the source told Vanguard.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has started an investigation into the matter.

Also, it was gathered that some alumni of the university are angry about the development and wondered why the management of the university delayed in acting on the matter.

“Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun got a hint of the development and took appropriate steps to unravel it. That was in 2020 and shortly after the Directorate of State Service, DSS and the internal security of the university submitted their report, the jostling for who to succeed Fagbohun as VC crept in. We all saw how that created a crisis between the then-Governing Council and the state government. That diverted attention from the issue and Fagbohun left office in February 2021.

“The question is why was the matter not revisited since then? It has been over two years since a new management came into office, that is enough time for the issue to be revisited and the needful to be done,” an alumnus said.

In the online report, there was the insinuation that some persons wanted the matter swept under the rug.

However, the management of LASU on Tuesday issued a statement denying any cover-up on the matter.

Reacting to the allegation, the Coordinator of the Centre for Information and Public Relations, Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile said: “The attention of Lagos State University Management has been drawn to recent reports regarding alleged “Certificate Racketeering” and a “sting operation” in the University.

“We, hereby, establish that the Management of Lagos State University had promptly brought the original allegations to the attention of general law enforcement authorities including the office of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions. These authorities have not yet concluded their investigations.

“Lagos State University Management does not take such matters lightly. Its inquiries into the allegations will be concluded before the end of 2023. Consistently with applicable law, the outcome of the inquiry will be published and appropriate action will be taken.

“For emphasis, there has been no cover-up and there will be no cover-up.”