Tajudeen Olumoko, dean of students’ affairs at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has been ousted over certificate racketeering allegations.
According to report made available to the media on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, Abiodun Fatai-Abatan, a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science has been appointed as the acting dean of students’ affairs of the university.
The removal of Olumoko comes on the heels of a report published by an online medium over alleged racketeering that had been going on at the university.
Consequent to the published report, the Lagos State House of Assembly had on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 summoned Tolani Akibu, the commissioner for tertiary education, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, vice-chancellor of LASU, the university’s senate, and other top staff over extortion and certificate racketeering allegations leveled against the school.
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Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the House, who is also an alumnus of the institution was said to have asked that the concerned authorities from LASU be invited so that facts concerning the claim can be found for the sake of the school’s reputation.
“I agree that the committee should invite those to be invited to establish facts about the allegation, but we must not because of that destroy our institution’s reputation, and if anyone is found wanting, such a person should be sanctioned,” Obasa said.
Owolabi Ajani moving the motion under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, told his colleagues there was a need to invite the commissioner, the VC and others for the house to sort out the facts behind the allegation.
The report claimed that a certificate racketeering syndicate has been selling authentic LASU certificates to interested clients for the sum of N2 million to N3 million depending on the complexity of the course in question.
