UNILAG VC For Burial, May 31

Academic activities resumed on Thursday at
the University of Lagos after three days of mourning for the late Vice
Chancellor, Prof. Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, who died on Saturday aged 62.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and
Research, Prof. Babajide Alo, however, said that academic activities would be “
low keyed”.

The management of the university had on
Wednesday announced that Sofoluwe would be buried on May 31 at the Ikoyi Vault
and Gardens.

“The whole university community is yet to
recover from the rude shock it went into when it received the sad and sudden
news of the death of its 10th vice chancellor.

“A high-powered burial committee headed by
my humble self was set up by the university to draw up the programme in
conjunction with the family.

“On Thursday, May 31, 2012, there would be
a lying-in-state on our campus followed by the burial service at the All Saints
Church, Yaba, and this would be followed with an interment at the Vaults and
Garden, Ikoyi, Lagos,” Alo said.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor said that the
burial programme would commence on May 25 with prayers at the mosque to be
followed with a special prayer on May 27 at the university’s main chapel,
Christ Our Light and the St Thomas Moore Catholic Church on the campus.

He said that on May 29, there would be a
Service of Songs at the Main Auditorium, main campus, Akoka.

“On Wednesday, May 30, there would be a
lying-in-state at the Multi-Purpose Hall at 8 a.m, and at noon, there will be a
special Senate session in the Senate Chamber and thereafter, it would be
followed by a wake-keep at the Multi-Purpose Hall,” Alo said.

He said that plans were on to immortalise
the late vice chancellor, especially after having achieved a lot in the two out
of the five-year term that he spent.

“We have a practise in this university
where our vice chancellors are always revered whether living or dead.

“If you look around, you will see pictures
of all our past vice chancellors hanging on the wall and for this, our late
vice chancellor, we will do everything possible to keep his fond memories
alive,” he added.

Alo said that at the University of Lagos,
it was unprecedented for an incumbent vice chancellor to die while on active
service, adding that Sofoluwe was the fourth vice chancellor to die while in
office in the entire university system.

Meanwhile, Mr Sodeinde Sofoluwe, elder
brother of the late vice chancellor, who represented members of the family at
the news conference, has debunked rumours making the round that the family was
suspecting a foul play.

According to him, “at no time, did the
Sofoluwe family, discuss with anybody or felt that our brother was poisoned or
due to any foul play or external forces, as being speculated in some
newspapers.

The DVC said that condolence registers had
since been opened at all the departments of the institution, as well as the
Senate Chamber and the Vice Chancellor’s Lodge.