FUNAAB: SSANU members mock VC with pap, ‘akara’

…As NASU holds pro-rally for Oyewole

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By Olusola AJIBIKE (Abeokuta)

NIGERIA: THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta on Tuesday mocked their suspended Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyewole.

The actions of the angry members of SSANU were countered with the rally held by members of Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), who were in support of Oyewole currently facing charges bordering on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money by false pretence and abuse of office.

It would be recalled that Oyewole alongside the former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the university, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and ex-Bursar, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, first appeared in court on Friday, November 25, 2016 on alleged misappropriation of the university’s funds running to N800 million.

The Vice-Chancellor, who had refunded N2.4 million into government coffer few days after his appearance in court, was last Thursday suspended by the Education Ministry following his arraignment in court last year.

“You are therefore, directed to hand over the affairs of your office to the most senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, in the University,” Adamu said in a letter reference number FME/HE/SU/56A/V/929 dated May 5, 2017 and signed by the acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Hussaini Adamu.

But, Oyewole defied the Minister, saying that he had forwarded letter of appeal to him and therefore he would remain in office until he gets reply from him.

Despite this, members of SSANU embarked on a mocking send forth party for Oyewole at an open field within the university campus where they ate bean cakes and drank pap as a way of demonstrating their displeasure to the outgoing Vice-Chancellor.

The SSANU Chairman, Mr. Olurotimi Fasuwon, and the three whistleblowers – the Emmanuel Bankole, Abdussobur Salaam and Olasunkanmi Somoye – led other members in their mockery of the troubled Vice-Chancellor.

GatewayMail correspondent at the venue reports that the association members were seen frying bean cakes and preparing hot pap which they served as menu for all guests‎ and members in attendance.

The association also pasted a number of posters against Oyewole where they castigated him, among others, as the‎ first sitting Vice Chancellor to be confined to a black maria and afterwards remanded in prison custody, first sitting Vice-Chancellor to be arraigned in court for criminal related charges and first Vice-Chancellor in the history of the university to be suspended.

Some of the posters read “Oyewole go and answer to the criminal charges against you; leave our university in peace,” “Prof. Oyewole’s years as Vice-Chancellor are years of the locust: wasted years,” “Prof. Oyewole you’re a disgrace to the academic and FUNAAB,” “Celebration of the shameful exit of a wicked VC Prof. Oyewole B.O.,” and “Shame, Oyewole, first Vice-Chancellor to be confined to prison custody.”

The union also provided musical band to add colour and glamour to the event as they danced to the series of melodious songs‎ to discredit Oyewole.

“Eni to nniwa lara won ti gbe lo si’boji…Oyewole to nniwa lara won ti gbe lo si’boji…Abinu eni yago lo mi yago…Mase gbara lewon odale ni won ma se gbokan lewon o won o da o…Awa l’egberun ahon…,” the musician sang with the SSANU members chorusing and sweeping with broom.

Fasuwon said that the event was organised to coincide with the shameful end and unceremonious exit of Oyewole as Vice Chancellor of “our once glorious university and to give a dossier of the backwardness which he brought.”

According to him, the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure had brought anguish and pain to the staff, and also set the university backward by more than 10 years.

“The university had over the years enjoyed love, joy and happiness amongst the various categories of staff, who now lives in fear, hate and distrust courtesy of Prof O.B. Oyewole,” Fasunson said.

But, in contrast to SSANU’s action, members of NASU gathered in front of the Senate building to celebrate Oyewole, who the association described his suspension as illegal.

The NASU Chairman, Comrade Isiaq O. Odunjo and Secretary, S.I.  Edivri said in a press statement distributed to journalists that it was with shock and surprise that the university received the purported letter of Oyewole’s suspension.

“This act of the Honourable Minister is shocking and surprising in view of the fact as an overseer of the Ministry of Education, he is expected to be well grounded in the laws, rules and regulations, cultures and customs, norms of all educational institutions in the country particularly the highest educational levels,” the union said.

It stressed that after critical study, examination and analysis of all laws governing the university system in the country, it observed that the suspension of the vice-chancellor of any university by the Minister under any guise whatsoever was nothing but absolute illegality.

“That the said letter is a manifestation of executive lawlessness and abuse of office on the part of Minister.  That it is a product of witch-hunting, god-fatherism and overzealousness for power on the part of the mover of the above letter who had been on the neck of not only the Minister but also on some bureaucrats in the ministry,” NASU stated.

The association stressed that Oyewole remains the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of FUNAAB, adding that the letter of suspension remains null and void, illegal, unacceptable and rejected in its entirety.

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