The suspended Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Abayomi Fasina, has refused to relinquish control to the newly appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Olubunmi Shittu, despite a clear directive from the university’s Governing Council.
Fasina was suspended on Monday following allegations of sexual harassment made by a senior university official, Engineer Folasade Adebayo.
The Governing Council, in response to the serious nature of the allegation, directed him to proceed on his accumulated annual leave while appointing Professor Shittu as the Acting Vice-Chancellor in the interim.
However, Fasina has allegedly retained control of the institution’s administrative functions, locking the Vice-Chancellor’s office and diverting official correspondence and university vehicles to his personal residence.
On Tuesday, a senior source told newsmen that the suspended VC continues to act as though he remains in charge.
“Fasina’s SAs (aides) moved all mails and vehicles to his house yesterday (Monday) evening,” the source said.
“He boasted to the Acting VC that he is still the Vice-Chancellor. They locked the VC’s office and instructed that all official mails be taken directly to his residence.”
The source added that Professor Fasina has also declared his intention to attend the upcoming Committee meeting to select the new Vice-Chancellor for FUOYE in Abuja despite his suspension.
“The Committee for Selection of New Vice-Chancellor’s meeting is scheduled to be held tomorrow (Wednesday) in Abuja. Fasina has positioned himself to attend and insists that the Acting VC must not take any action without his approval,” the source said.
“In fact, both of them are headed to Abuja separately for the meeting. Fasina told Prof. Shittu that anything he wants to do, he must carry him along and that all mails should be sent to him directly. This completely undermines the authority of the Acting Vice-Chancellor.”
The source expressed dismay at the situation, saying, “They are now attending to mails at his house. This shows that Fasina is still very much in control, despite the Council’s suspension order. It’s a dangerous precedent.”
On Monday, newsmen reported that Fasina had been suspended by the university’s Governing Council following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by Adebayo.
A source told newsmen on Monday that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the initial recommendations of the Governing Council’s Committee, which allegedly ignored the sexual harassment claims and instead recommended that Adebayo apologise to the Vice-Chancellor.
“The minister was very angry with the decision of the council,” the source said.
“He was unhappy that the council tried to sweep the sexual harassment complaint under the carpet and rather told the complainant to apologise. He called the Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), to register his displeasure.”
According to the source, following the minister’s intervention, Senator Ndoma-Egba convened an emergency online meeting of the Governing Council at 2:00 PM on Monday, during which the Council resolved to suspend Prof. Fasina.
The source added that Fasina pleaded with the Council to allow him to proceed on his accumulated leave instead of a direct suspension. Eventually, the Council granted his request for a six-month accrued leave.
“You know, as a Vice-Chancellor, if you wish to end your tenure early, especially within six months to the end of your term, you are permitted to proceed on your accumulated leave,” the source explained.
“Although Fasina’s tenure is due to end in August, the Council has now asked him to proceed on that leave effective immediately.”
In the interim, the Governing Council appointed Shittu, a professor of Soil Science and the incumbent Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), as Acting Vice-Chancellor for six months.
This was confirmed in a press statement issued by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mufutau A. Ibrahim, and obtained by newsmen.
