UNILAG VC’s family, management settle on burial arrangement

THE tension over the circumstance surrounding the death of the vice chancellor of University of Lagos, Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, was doused on Wednesday, as the family agreed with the institution’s management to go on with the burial arrangement.

At a news conference jointly addressed by the elder brother of the late vice chancellor, Chief Dehinde Sofoluwe and the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, (Academics and Research), Professor Babajide Alo, the duo debunked the allegation that the late professor was poisoned.

They said he actually died of heart attack, according to the medical reports by the various consultants who diagnosed him with Myocardial Infarction at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

In an emotion-laden voice, Alo said that the university community was yet to recover from the rude shock it went through, when it received the sad and sudden news of the death of the institution’s 10th vice chancellor.

He said: “It is painful and sorrowful that I have to address the media on burial arrangement of our departed vice chancellor. We have been mourning on our campus since we received the news.”

The elder brother of the deceased, Chief Sofoluwe told journalists that there was no disagreement between the university and the family over the death of his younger brother, adding that the burial arrangement would go on as planned.

Sofoluwe, who spoke on behalf of the family, spoke on how he trained Professor Sofoluwe since their father died 49 years ago, adding, “I trained Tokunbo. Our father died 49 years ago and I took over the responsibility of training him.”

He said that the late vice chancellor was good to the family and always struggled to give back to the people who had helped him to succeed in life.

Recalling his last meeting with the late vice chancellor, the older Sofoluwe noted that his deceased brother was unmindful of the luxury of life, adding, “he told me on Thursday before he died on Saturday that I should not bother much about this world or life, that death can come anytime. And he died on Saturday.”

While responding to questions from journalists, the deputy vice chancellor, who is also the chairman burial committee, Professor Alo said that Sofoluwe was the first UNILAG vice chancellor that would die while in office, adding that the university would immortalise him.

He said: “Besides the fact that Sofoluwe’s portrait will be hung like that of his predecessors at the Senate chambers of the university, the management will ensure that the legacies he left behind remain indelible.”