18th May, 2012
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.