By Wole Balogun
(S.A Media to VC)
Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) media team hereby denies the rumour from a blogger, Akin Akinsoluga, entitled : Confusion in FUOYE Governing Council Over Ejected Registrar and Bursar”.
The false report has been sponsored by enemies of progress to mislead the public and create chaos but it has failed woefully in such bid.
The ill-fated report by the jankara reporter, doing the bidding of his frustrated paymasters, reads in part: “It is reported that there is confusion and panic among the University Governing Council members over the termination of appointments of the substantive Registrar and Bursar. Our reporter gathered that the Governing Council Chairman, Dr. Muhammad Lawan Yahuza and the Management had received a letter from the Ministry of Education directing reinstatement of the duo within a stipulated timeframe.”
The above penned by the Blogger is outright lies as the Council did not receive any letter directing reinstatement of the sacked esthwhile Bursar and Registrar. Also, we want to reiterate that the duo of Olatubosun Odusanya and Bolatito Akande were sacked in strict adherence to the Rules and Regulations guiding the appointment, promotion and discipline of senior staff/principal officers of the University.
The termination of their appointment remains legal and settled. No member of the University community takes any publications on the matter serious again. It’s only a source of distraction, a game plan to derail our focus and slow down the giant developmental strides this administration has been making within It’s first one year in office.
We have firmly resolved never to go back to Egypt again. No amount of lies, propaganda and blackmail can change that.
To be sure, the Governing Council remains the highest authority of the University, which takes decisions for the Federal Government who owns the University. It is obvious that those insinuating about a purported letter directing reinstatement from a minister are ignorant of the working of the University system.
While no such letters exist, such would not have been able to upturn the decision of the Governing Council, which represents the government in Oye. So, peddlers of negating rumour on the aforementioned facts had better perish the thought of reinstating the sacked duo through the backdoor and on the pages of newspapers, and hide their faces in shame.
The evil report by Akinsoluga further tells the following lies:
“Information from the ministry stated that investigation revealed that the process for terminating their appointments was biased. Thus, the Minister of Education in his letter which was personally received by the Council Chairman in company of the Acting Registrar, Mr Mufutau Ibrahim on Tuesday 15th February, 2022 ordered the reinstatement of both staff while a thorough investigation will be carried out on all parties and other petitions pending against the Council.
“When our reporter reached a member of council on the matter, the member sounded worrisome that the matter is becoming an embarrassment to the University. The member denied being culpable in any shady deals on the matter and that Council only took decision with respect to the report submitted by the investigative committee. When asked if he was certain the investigative committee report was not manipulated, he noted that he cannot confidently say since he was not a member of the committee coupled with recent happenings.”
Our reaction to the above lies is that we insist the sack of Odusanya and Akande followed legal/due process as stipulated in the University Rules and Regulations. The duo are advised to go to court to challenge this and stop seeking cheap sympathy by spreading falsehood in the media through some faceless jankara reporters.
The Blogger further writes more lies:
“It would be recalled that the Registrar, Olatunbosun Odusanya and Bursar, Mrs Bolatito Akande were in April and June last year, 2021, relieved of their jobs by the university’s Governing Council led by the Chairman, Dr. Muhammad Lawan Yahuza.
“Not satisfied with their removal, the embattled Registrar and Bursar opted for the intervention of the lawmakers through the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Petition and Privileges, Senator Akinyeluye who intervened to resolve the matter amicably in an executive session.
“It was further gathered that after waiting for the council to come up with their decision out of the proposed suitable options for both sides, ruling was given in August 2021 to reinstate the Registrar and the Bursar.
“Again, the duo waited to no avail on the letter of appeal for reinstatement. Instead, the Governing Council ignored the Senate and went on with the process of appointing new Registrar and Bursar for the university.”
Our reaction again to the above misleading narratives is that the Senate has no legal ground to upturn the decision of the University Governing Council. Such decision remains final and only subject to legal ruling or pronouncement by a competent court of law. The legal process for appointing the new substantive Bursar and Registrar has already begun and cannot be halted by any unconstitutional means. As a law abiding institution, we will always abide by and adhere strictly to the rule of law in all our dealings.
On a final note, we use this medium to inform the general public and stakeholders that there is no panic nor confusion within FUOYE Governing Council, and there cannot be since the eminent personalities in the Council are men of great intellect, unquestionable integrity and sound character. Theirs is to continuously work for the progress and development of the great Ivory Tower so that the University can continue to contribute immensely to the progress and development of our great nation, Nigeria.