FUOYE Staff Unions Dismiss Allegations Against Vice-Chancellor as Baseless, Politically Motivated.

FUOYE Staff Unions Dismiss Allegations Against Vice-Chancellor as Baseless, Politically Motivated.

A coalition of staff unions at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has dismissed allegations against the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, as baseless and malicious.

The unions, comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Congress of Nigerian Academics (CONUA), Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), described the claims as part of a smear campaign orchestrated by disgruntled individuals.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in Ado-Ekiti, the unions alleged that the accusations were politically motivated and aimed at discrediting Prof. Fasina ahead of the 2025 Vice-Chancellorship race.

The allegations, initially detailed in a communiqué signed by SSANU branch chairman, Benjamin Faleye, and secretary, Ayomikun Aluko, accused the Vice-Chancellor of administrative misconduct, including the reassignment of teaching staff to non-teaching roles, sexual harassment, intimidation, abuse of office, and financial mismanagement. The communiqué, dated November 25, 2024, also called for a probe into the university’s finances.

However, the coalition of unions, led by FUOYE NASU Chairman, Comrade Ayeni Abraham, and FUOYE CONUA Coordinator, Dr. Ademola Akinsorotan, refuted these claims, describing them as speculative and lacking credible evidence. They likened the accusations to similar efforts in 2021, which they said failed when Prof. Fasina emerged as the university's fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor.

The unions highlighted Prof. Fasina’s achievements during his tenure, which they argued have drawn envy from detractors. According to the unions, the Vice-Chancellor’s administration has recorded numerous milestones, including the promotion of over 600 staff members, payment of hazard allowances, subsidised transportation for staff, and the introduction of remunerated online teaching programmes.

They also noted that FUOYE has grown significantly under Prof. Fasina’s leadership, becoming the fourth most subscribed university in Nigeria, securing millions of dollars in research grants, and completing over 90 infrastructural projects.

On the issue of financial transparency, the unions pointed out that the university’s Governing Council, led by Dr. M. Lawal Yahuza, commissioned a forensic audit of the institution’s accounts, with external auditors affirming the administration’s financial integrity.

The unions further commended Prof. Fasina’s leadership style, which they said has earned him several accolades, including an Award of Excellence from the Ekiti State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). They also praised the openness of the recently concluded University Congregation poll held on November 13, 2024.

In their statement, the unions urged stakeholders and the public to disregard the allegations, describing them as politically motivated and unsubstantiated. They called on the university community to continue supporting Prof. Fasina’s administration, which they credited with transformative achievements that have enhanced FUOYE’s reputation.