By Ayodele Oni
The Western zone of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU), has rejected the report of a panel which investigated and cleared the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, (FUOYE) of se*ual harassment.
The union condemned the Governing Council of FUOYE, which set up the panel, for clearing Vice-Chancellor Prof Sunday Fashina of se*ual harassment allegations leveled against him by Engr. Folashade Adebayo, a Deputy Director at the institution.
The union has threatened industrial action across 26 universities in the zone unless an impartial investigative panel is established.
Dr Abdussobur Salaam, National Vice President of SSANU and Chairman of the Western Zone, condemned the council’s decision, accusing it of shielding the accused while further victimizing the complainant.
In a statement issued on Thursday, in Akure, Ondo state, Salaam described the exoneration as a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s university system, alleging that the investigative process was compromised from the outset.
“The Governing Council allowed Prof Fashina to remain in office during the investigation, which began over four months ago. This compromised the fairness of the process.
“Asking the Vice-Chancellor to merely recuse himself during the council meeting to present an illusion of impartiality is an attempt to deceive the public. The investigation was not a one-day event—it was a process tainted by his continued presence.”
Salaam expressed dismay at the council’s failure to address the Vice-Chancellor’s alleged disparagement of other principal officers, including the Registrar and Bursar, in a recorded conversation aimed at pressuring Engr. Adebayo to accept his advances.
“Is this how morally depraved we have become as a society?” he questioned.
The union rejected the council’s claim that Engr. Adebayo never formally accused Prof Fashina of se*ual harassment, calling it a “barefaced lie.”
It also dismissed the council’s reference to a Nigeria Police Force report purportedly absolving the Vice-Chancellor, noting that the Special Fraud Unit’s investigation focused on financial misconduct, not sexual offences.
SSANU further condemned the sanctions imposed on Engr. Adebayo for allegedly bringing the university into disrepute, arguing that Prof Fashina’s “immoral and unethical conduct” warranted punishment instead.
“His actions have desecrated the office of the Vice-Chancellor, undermined its disciplinary authority, and tarnished the university’s reputation,” Salaam asserted.
The union also rejected sanctions against the Chairman and Secretary of its FUOYE branch, Comrades Benjamin Faleye and Ayomikun Aluko, who were penalized for whistleblowing. “We will not accept this victimization of those who speak truth to power.
“The Governing Council, chaired by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has failed the integrity test. Its actions cast doubt on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to renewing hope in our educational institutions.”
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