Things are looking up for grievance redress mechanisms at the University of Lagos, if the recent meeting between the University Management and award-winning lawyer and conflict resolution expert, Mrs. Ayo Ayoola-Amale, is anything to go by.
On Monday, July 1, 2024, at the Senate Building, a management team led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), Prof. Lucian Chukwu, received Mrs. Ayoola-Amale, who made a presentation on her expertise in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and her experience helping universities across Africa set up Ombuds offices.
The 2014 winner of the Honourable Global Mediator Contest in Madrid and former Senior Lecturer in Law at Kings College University, Ghana, commended the University of Lagos for its grievance redress efforts and expressed hope for collaboration to elevate the practice to global standards.
“To be known as a university that is social justice-friendly, fair, and equitable is a significant reputational capital that will open more doors to global opportunities than it would cost in investments in training personnel and setting up Ombuds offices,” she said.
Responding, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, who is also a Law Professor, applauded Mrs. Ayoola-Amale’s proposal, highlighting its many potentials. Building on a point made earlier by the Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Matthew Ilori, that the University of Lagos has operational grievance redress systems, Prof. Atsenuwa said, “I think your proposal is something we can advance. We see the value in strengthening the redress systems we have here; and you can bank on it that the University of Lagos stands for social justice in the most practical sense.”
The trio of Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Management Services, Development Services, and Academic & Research) were impressed by the presentation and promised to relate the outcome of the interaction to the Vice-Chancellor for further deliberations.
REPORT: Isaiah KUMUYI
PHOTOGRAPHY: Ayo OLOYEDE
