Some education stakeholders have called for a cordial working relationship between the management and governing council of the University of Lagos to take the institution to greater heights.
A graduating doctorate student, who pleaded anonymity, said the development did not represent the Unilag brand.
He told NAN that the announcement came as a rude shock to him because much time and resources had been committed to the ceremony by graduating students.
“This is not well thought out; the feelings of the graduands, their guardians and parents were not put into consideration.
” My family members have come into Lagos for some days now.
“Some others have already come in from different parts of the world for the same occasion, and here we are talking about the suspension of the ceremony without any date fixed for it.
“It is indeed worrisome,’’ he said.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos branch, had earlier described the postponement of the convocation as unfortunate.
A statement by the Chairman of the ASUU branch, Dr Dele Ashiru, in Lagos, said the suspension came to the ASUU members as a ‘rude shock.’
“ASUU, Unilag, received with rude shock, the news of the postponement of the 51st convocation ceremonies of the university scheduled for March 9 to March March 12, barely four days to its commencement.
“Preliminary investigations by our union reveal that the postponement was occasioned by the vice -chancellor’s unilateral complaint to the Ministry of Education that the 2019 convocation ceremonies were not approved by the council, contrary to available evidence.
“Our union, therefore, condemns in strongest terms this unfortunate, inhuman postponement of these historic convocation ceremonies.
“What has just happened is an evil wind that will blow no one any good, else, how can one explain the postponement of convocation ceremonies without any consideration for the psychological trauma this may cause the graduands, their parents, relatives and the image and reputation of the university.
“This is apart from the huge human, material and financial resources that have been committed to planning the ceremony.
“That the Ministry of Education could also quickly request the executive secretary of the NUC to advise the vice-chancellor to suspend the university’s convocation ceremonies without investigating the veracity of the claim is highly depressing,’’ he said.