FUOYE VC proceeds on leave amid sexual harassment scandal, university gets acting VC

The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Abayomi Fasina, a professor whom the university council cleared of sexual harassment allegations last week, has proceeded on a six month leave.

The university spokesperson, Foluso Ogunmodede, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the university council approved Mr Fasina’s request to proceed on a six-month “accumulated annual and research leave.”

Mr Ogunmodede said the leave which begins Monday, 14 April is 126 working days of Mr Fasina’s total entitlements of 228 days.

He added that the council has also appointed Olubunmi Shittu, a professor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics, as acting vice-chancellor for the university.

“His appointment which was ratified at the Council’s emergency meeting followed a request by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina to proceed on his accumulated annual and research leave,” Mr Ogunmodede said in a short statement to our reporter.

There are reports in some section of the media that Mr Fasina, was in fact suspended after the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, intervened and expressed his dissatisfaction with the council’s decision that cleared the vice-chancellor of sexual harassment allegations.

Mr Ogunmodede, the university spokesperson, denied this when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him on Monday.

The spokesperson for the education ministry, Folasade Boriowo, is yet to respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ enquiries. Although she requested that a text be sent to her, she had not responded as of the time of filing this report.

Sexual Harassment Allegations

The university’s former Director of Works, Folasade Adebayo, had accused Mr Fasina of sexually harassing her and victimising her after she repeatedly rejected his advances.

Mrs Adebayo provided an audio recording of Mr Fasina pestering her for an illicit relationship, which she said began sometime in 2023.

In February, the university council set up a committee to conduct comprehensive investigation into the allegations levelled against the vice-chancellor by Mrs Adebayo and which the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), FUOYE chapter, constantly pushed for investigation.

However, the council exonerated Mr Fasina of the allegations after receiving the report of the committee.

In a statement announcing its decision and signed by the university registrar, Mufutau Ibrahim, the council asked Mrs Adebayo, the accuser, to apologise.

The council also condemned Mrs Adebayo for recording Mr Fasina without his consent.

It also accused the Chairperson of the FUOYE Chapter of SSANU, Benjamin Faleye and Secretary, Ayomikun Aluko, of misconduct for issuing a communique last year accusing the vice-chancellor of the same allegations.

Both Mr Faleye and Mrs Aluko had been suspended by the university in December after the university accused them of misconduct.

While the council lifted their suspension, it asked them to apologise and forfeit half their salaries within the period of suspension.

READ ALSO: SSANU rejects FUOYE council decision clearing VC of sexual harassment allegations

SSANU rejects council decision

Meanwhile, SSANU, Western Zone, had rejected the council decision, seeking external interventions.

In a statement signed by the SSANU National Vice President and Chairman Western Zone, Abdussobur Salaam, the union said the council’s decision has set a negative precedent in the Nigerian University system.

The union said it had reasons to believe that the investigation into the allegations had been compromised.

It wondered why the council focused so much on why the audio recording was made rather than the content.