Alfred Kayode, Ado Ekiti
Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has advised the sacked Registrar of the University, Mr. Olatunbosun Odusanya to stop misleading the public over events leading to the termination of his appointment by the FUOYE Governing Council headed by Dr. Mohammad Yahuza.
Odusanya’s appointment was terminated by the Governing Council on April 27 in strict compliance with the University Regulations regarding staff discipline and termination of employment.
However, rather than show remorse for his misconduct, the sacked Registrar has resorted to cheap blackmail and assault on the person of the Vice-Chancelor.
Odusanya in a national daily recently made some claims against the VC, alleging that his sack was a personal vendetta from Prof. Fasina.
The sacked Registrar was qouted to have said: “My fear is that if this kind of thing is allowed to just go away like that, it shows that FUOYE is in serious trouble. Ideally, this is an offence I did not commit; it is not my responsibility to employ, it is my responsibility to carry out the directives of the chief executive”
“If Prof. Fasina could manoeuvre his way to remove the names of registrar within 10 days, I don’t know what is likely going to be the state or future of all staff in FUOYE.”
Reacting in a statement made available to journalists in Oye Ekiti on Sunday, Prof. Fasina said he would have ignored the unfounded allegations against his person but decided to reply to set the records straight.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media Matters, Mr Wole Balogun, the VC wondered why Odusanya who ordinarily should be the custodian of the University’s Regulations on staff discipline and termination of employment, would choose to distort facts and mislead the public about the action taken by the University Authority.
Describing Odusanya’s claims as unfounded, the VC said he has no axe to grind with anybody, urging the dismissed Registrar to channel his energies to other productive ventures.
“There is clearly no case of personal vendetta or witchhunt here. And that is for several reasons.
“First, Odusanya and l have been friends for several years and we will remain friends. I had worked very harmoniously with him for over five years. When he was the University’s Director of Administration and Special Duties, we had very harmonious working relationship. His former principal and my own former Boss, Prof. Kayode Soremekun remains my friend and brother. The three of us had worked together for the tremendous success recorded during the years of Prof. Soremekun as the VC of FUOYE. I was then the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, and we had very cordial and fruitful working relationship”.
The Vice Chancellor emphasised that when he became the VC, he had also maintained that cordiality and spirit of brotherhood so there is clearly nothing personal about the developmnt.
He explained further that the authority that found him wanting is the Governing Council of the University ably chaired by Dr. Mohammed Yahuza and not him as a VC.
“The Governing Council is above me as the highest authority of the University. It was the Council that constituted the probe panel that investigated Odusanya’s misconduct. He was duly queried and given a right of reply. He replied the query and the University Disciplinary Committee found his reply not tenable enough to exculpate him of the misconduct. He was duly found culpable and punished. So, how does that become personal vendetta or witchhunt from me”, the VC explained.
