When the contrary is the order of the day, it gives room for serious concern.
The underground crisis rocking the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) must not be allowed to degenerate into an unpalatable proportion. The issue concerns the current Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin), Prof Abayomi Sunday Fasina and the purported insistence of the sitting Vice Chancellor, Prof Kayode Soremekun to install Fasina as his successor.
On the 2nd of Nov 2020, a petition was directed to the Pro-Chancellor/ Chairman of Council through the Hon Bayo Idowu & Co of Joseph Chambers Ado-Ekiti. Before the petition, similar letters were exchanged with Ekiti State University. It was the response from EKSU that informed this petition.
The main reason for the petition is summarized as; SALARY FRAUD.
The union alleged that Professor Fasina received double remuneration from FUOYE and EKSU between Oct 2016 and Feb. 2017.
Other issues raised in the petition are:
That Prof Fasina's recruitment into FUOYE from EKSU was fraudulent, as it did not follow due process.
The report from EKSU had indicted Prof Fasina.
The condition of service should be applied by placing him on interdiction from FUOYE pending determination of his case on salary fraud.
Prof Fasina should give way for proper, unhindered and transparent investigation, by stepping aside as the University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Admin).
On the process of appointing the new VC, the interview by the FUOYE VC should be postponed indefinitely.
Prof Fasina was contacted about this case and in defending himself in a FOUYE News bulletin, he claimed to have been cleared of fraudulently receiving double salaries, just because he had refunded (6) months salary collected illegally.
It was alleged that the Vice Chancellor Prof Kayode Soremekun constituted a hasty panel to clear Fasina, in a grand design of installing him as his successor, thereby institutionalizing fraud in FUOYE.
Hitherto, the VC was accused of converting a non-experienced Director of Administration (recruited by the VC) to the Office of Registrar, a Principal Officer.
There is no confidence and trust in the administration of the outgoing VC, Prof Kayode Soremekun and Council to supervise the selection and appointment of the new VC having failed to do it in accordance with the law since August 20, 2020, when the post was previously advertised.
The Minister of Education and National University Commission (NUC) are invited to note that the Bursar, Registrar and the outgoing VC of the University are from National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and the consultant for VC interview, Professor Jegede is also a former VC of NOUN.
The Federal Government and NUC are advised to appoint an acting Vice Chancellor to oversee the process of selection and appointment of a new VC for FUOYE, in view of these revelations.
One of the Senior Staff at FUOYE said that, 'despite the numerous protests, the Vice Chancellor is bent on using the council to institutionalize fraud', he disclosed.
There is the belief that the local ASUU has been muzzled so as to continue to dance to the tune of the university authority.
Concerned citizens across the globe are pleading with the stakeholders; the Presidency, Ministry of Education, the State Government, National University Commission and the Traditional Rulers, to prevail on the authorities in charge to conduct a forensic investigation concerning the issues raised.
Issues like this should not be overlooked for sentiments or to satisfy individual interest because when the people are pushed to the wall the resultant effect may be devastating.
We need to learn a lot from the violence that greeted the #ENDSARS protests, which resulted in grievous human causalities and huge financial loss.
LET US BE WISE.
