The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has accused the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, of allegedly working with political interests to destabilise the state ahead of the forthcoming Ekiti elections.
This was revealed by the National President of the union, Comrade Muhammad Haruna Ibrahim, during a press conference held in Ado-Ekiti on Monday. He was joined by four other members of the union.
The President was represented by Comrade Temidayo Azeez Aguda, Chairman of SSANU, Ekiti State University (EKSU) who also double as the Special Assistant to the SSANU national leadership.
According to Comrade Aguda, the union believes that Prof. Fasina is being sponsored by certain political actors to cause unrest in the state by provoking union members into protests that could be used to portray the government as incapable of maintaining peace.
“Prof. Fasina is being used by political elements who want to destabilise Ekiti ahead of the coming election. They want to instigate us to protest so that the state will appear ungovernable. He does not want peace in Ekiti,” Temidayo alleged.
The SSANU FUOYE Chairman explained that the controversy began when six union members, including a nursing mother, were arrested by the police following a petition allegedly written by the Vice-Chancellor. He claimed that despite repeated requests, the content of the petition was not shown to the union.
“We were directed by our national secretary to visit FUOYE to find out why six of our members were arrested. When we arrived, we saw our comrades in disarray, some stripped and detained with a nursing mother among them. The police said the arrest was based on a petition from Prof. Fasina, who has been on leave for six months,”
He, however, commended the Governor of Ekiti Stat, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and Brigadier General Ebenezer Ogundana (Rtd), Special Adviser on Security to the Governor for their swift intervention, which led to the release of the detained union members.
The union leaders called on the Federal Government to launch an independent investigation into the incident and to immediately relieve Prof. Fasina of his duties to prevent further unrest within the university and the state.
“We are calling on the concerned ministries and agencies that enough is enough. The Federal Government should send Prof. Fasina packing or call him to order so that peace can return to FUOYE,” Faleye warned.
He further refuted claims that the Vice-Chancellor ordered the release of the detained staff, insisting that the directive came from the state governor.
Reacting, the Special Adviser to the VC on Media, De. Wole Balogun described the allegations as laughable.
According to him, the union leaders were invited by the police based on their unruly behaviour during a meeting called by the Chairman of the Governing Council during the resumption of the VC adding that the police detained them due to their unruly behaviour at the station
He said Fasina is not a politician and has been too engaged for political drama.
