By Taiwo Oluwadare
Some concerned members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), have exposed the branch chairman of the union, Ben Faleye over what they described as his usual way of arm-twisting members of the Union for his selfish interests. In a statement they made available to newsmen under the aegis of the Concerned SSANU Group, FUOYE and entitled:” RE : CHARACTER ASSASSINATION AND LIES AGAINST THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROF. ABAYOMI FASINA, BY THE SSANU CHAIRMAN* AND HIS EXECUTIVES the members said they were shocked at Faleye’s evil plot at their Congress of November, 25, 2024. The statement reads in part:“We were shocked by the unwarranted display of hatred and bitterness by the SSANU chairman, Ben Faleye and his team, against the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina , at the SSANU Congress held on November 25, 2024..
The members who pleaded anonymity for fear of possible witch-hunt by Faleye and his dictatorial caucus, said:” Sadly , Instead of the SSANU executives to work in tandem with the University Management in ensuring the Institution becomes one of the best in Nigeria and beyond, Ben Faleye and his executives are bent on tarnishing the reputable pedigree the Institution has maintained over 13 years consecutively. More often than usual, the chairman and his team regularly launch smear campaigns against the University Management by regularly assassinating the character of the Vice-Chancellor and his team. He derives joy in promoting disharmony and crises in the institution and has no regards for the Vice-Chancellor and his team. His insatiable desire to denigrate the Vice-Chancellor at every given opportunity has been his uttermost desire, and himself and his team dont hesitate promoting baseless and unfounded lies and accusations , just to ensure the institution is renowned for bad news and discouraging happenings, all with the sole intention of humiliating the University Management.
Ben Faleye and his executives took their wicked act to another level on Mon., 25th November, 2024, when they called a SSANU congress, and SSANU members were invited. It was a pathetic scene upon getting to the Congress and we realized that, against what the “agenda” reflects, the Congress was primarily organized to scandalize the University Management, and the Vice-Chancellor in particular.
We were shocked upon realizing that , without the consent of the Congress, the chairman and his team had invited media personnels to cover the event. Even after the Congress had started, Ben Faleye and his team never notified the Congress of their presence and they (press men) camouflaged as new members of staff many had believed they were, and continued to use unsuspecting and sophisticated cameras to cover the event.
As the sinister motives of the chairman and his team continued, Congress members were kept in the dark until a member suspected the mischievous activity being executed perfectly by the press men, just as planned by Ben Faleye and his team, all to achieve their sinister aim. After a member raised the issue of moles infiltrating our Congress, members unanimously asked the spies pretending to be journalists to evacuate the premises.
Ben Faleye and his team didn’t take the matter with levity because their original intention was shortlived after the journalists left. Ben Faleye went further by throwing jabs at the Vice-Chancellor without remorse. He did so by fabricating numerous lies he couldn’t establish and kept selling them to the Congress. He came up with so much lies about the Vice-Chancellor not wanting to pay relocation allowances to staff , which was against the Council’s directive ; that the Vice-Chancellor had been victimizing and harassing members of staff, etc.
After being shocked about how Ben Faleye and his team had gone about the happenings at the Congress yesterday, all in a bid to generate new controversies and instigate instability in the institution, we hereby distance ourselves from the actions of Ben Faleye and his team.
Also, we condemn in entirety all the accusations leveled against the Vice-Chancellor and the University Management by Ben Faleye and his team. It’s very disgraceful and appalling that a reputable union like ours is being ruthlessly lead by a unionist whose sole intention is to paint the Institution in a bad light.
We are not in support of his actions at the Congress, and we weren’t notified of the presence of the press men who later granted the scandalous interview that was displayed to the public.
SSANU FUOYE will continue to be focused no matter the divisive tendency the chairman and his team are publicly displaying. The Vice-Chancellor is a scholar and an astute administrator par excellence. His notable works and projects are obvious to staff and students, and he is a man of integrity.
