Pro Chancellor and Chairman, FUOYE Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN.
By Anietie Akpan
Contrary to some media reports, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina is not suspended.
Reports in some media (not Pillar Today) had reported that the Vice Chancellor was suspended at the instance of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa purportedly not satisfied with the University’s Governing Council Committee report that cleared the Vice Chancellor on the allegations of sexual harassment against him.
But the Governing Council of FUOYE in a statement said, the Council received a letter from the Vice Chancellor requesting for an approval to proceed on his accumulated annual leave.
The Vice Chancellor had in a letter dated April 14 and addressed to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council said, “I wish to request for my accumulated Leave and my deferred Research Leave” amounting to Accumulated Leave 150 days; Research 78 days totaling 228 days.
He said, “the need to proceed on the leave is imperative as it will afford me the opportunity to do my long overdue medical checkup which is very expedient. I will use the rest of the time to engage in my outstanding research activities outside the country.
“My leave time will probably allow the Authorities to review the Report of the Council on the allegation of sexual harassment for which I was cleared, if necessary.
“If approved, I will like to proceed on the leave as soon as possible. I wish to recommend either Prof Tajudeen Opoola or Prof Shittu 0.S to act as Ag Vice Chancellor in my absence”.
In view of this, the Council in statement which was signed by the Registrar & Secretary to Council, Mufutau A. Ibrahim met and approved the leave request.
The statement reads: “The Governing Council of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) at its 7th wmergency meeting held online on Monday 14th April, 2025, considered the request of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina to proceed on his accumulated Annual and Research leave and approved six (6) months, being 126 working days out of his total entitlements of 228 days with effect from today, Monday, 14th April, 2025”.
“In addition, the Governing Council appointed Prof. Olubunmi S. Shittu, the incumbent Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, who is also the most senior of the three Deputy Vice-Chancellors, as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University for a period of six months with effect from today, Monday, 14th April, 2025”.
Recall that the Governing Council, led by its Pro Chancellor and Chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, had set up an investigative panel in January to look into the issue for a lasting solution.
Accordingly, the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, in a statement on Wednesday last week, disclosed that the council, during its extraordinary meeting on 8 April 2025, considered the reports of the investigative committees constituted to address the issue.
The governing council committee exonerated the Cice Chancellor of any wrongdoings.