Former Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Lagos, Professor Jelili Adebisi Omotola is dead. He died yesterday while presiding over a meeting in his office in Lagos. He was aged 65. Omotola was born on April 20, 1941, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state. He attended Ahmadiyya Grammer School, Ibadan between 1956 and 1961. He proceeded to the London University in 1964 and graduated in 1971. He was called to the English Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1981, and was called into Nigerian Bar in 1993. He was married to Mrs. Mujidat Omotola and they have six children. Omotola was a legal expert and was for many years the head of department of private and property law, before becoming the Dean of the Faculty of Law in August 1986. Professor Omotola had many law publications to his credit. He eventually became the university’s vice chancellor. The late Professor Omotola turned UNILAG around with dynamic programmes which increased the revenue of the University. He later got into trouble when he went ahead to establish an outreach programme in South Korea without the approval of Senate and Government and was removed as UNILAG VC. Chidi Nwairo an alumnus of the institution said, “Omotola was not just one of the best VC’s UNILAG has had, but one of the best to head the administration of a tertiary institution in Nigeria.” Another alumnus Amara Chinedum said “he, (Omotola) gave a lot of students a chance to lead a better life by granting admission to many”. He will be buried on Friday March 31st, 2006 in Ijebu-Ode at 2:00pm.
This is a real tragedy for all UNILAG students. I’m not a UNILAG student myself but I’ve heard quite enough from those I know to realise that Omotola was probably one of the best VC’s they ever had up till date. My prayer is that his soul should Rest In Peace and that God will grant his family the fortitude to bear their loss.