…Caution Western Zone Leadership to Steer Clear of University Affairs
More than 50 members of a factional group of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) have publicly dissociated themselves from both the local caucus led by Mr Benjamin Faleye and the Western Zonal leadership under Dr Abdussobur Olayiwola Salaam. This follows threats to stage an industrial action on FUOYE’s campus in conjunction with 26 other SSANU branches nationwide.
In a press release made available to journalists on Thursday, bearing over 50 signatures—including those of Mr J.T. Aborisade and Mr . Wale Owasanoye, among others. The dissident faction condemned the Western Zonal branch for rejecting the ruling of the University’s Governing Council. The Council had exonerated the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, of sexual harassment allegations after a thorough investigation.
The Council, chaired by Distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, had not only cleared Professor Fasina of wrongdoing but also lifted the suspension previously imposed on Mr Benjamin Faleye and his secretary, Mrs Ayomikun Aluko. However, the Council instructed both individuals to tender formal letters of apology for actions deemed damaging to the University’s reputation.
Similarly, the Council directed Mrs Folasade Adebayo—who released an unauthorised and allegedly doctored audio recording of a private conversation with the Vice-Chancellor to social media—to issue an apology. Although Mrs Adebayo never explicitly accused the VC of sexual harassment, and had formally declared to police authorities that no such misconduct occurred, the media had widely circulated the narrative for over five months.
The Council noted that the audio clips in question were recorded without the knowledge or consent of Professor Fasina and were allegedly aimed at coercing him into appointing Mrs Adebayo as substantive Director of Works—a position for which she reportedly lacks the requisite qualifications. The Council dismissed the recordings as inadmissible and warned the Vice-Chancellor to exercise greater caution in his professional dealings.
Despite the Council’s resolution, Dr Abdussobur Olayiwola Salaam, Vice-President of SSANU’s Western Zone, issued a statement rejecting the verdict, arguing that the University had failed to take appropriate disciplinary action. Aligning with Mr Faleye’s faction, Dr Salaam threatened to initiate a disruptive industrial action involving 26 SSANU branches to destabilise FUOYE.
In a swift response, the factional FUOYE SSANU group warned the Western Zonal leadership to refrain from meddling in the University’s internal matters. They pledged their full support to the Governing Council and cautioned against external interference.
Their statement reads:
“History is repeating itself today, as we are compelled to publicly make our stand known on the position of our revered Governing Council led by Distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba. We are categorically stating that we are fully in support of the position of the Governing Council over the lingering sexual harassment allegation against our dear VC. In our estimation, the Council has been magnanimous enough to have lifted the suspension on Faleye and Aluko, in spite of the gross misconduct they committed which brought the name of the University into disrepute. We are also humbled by the magnanimity of the Council in merely directing Mrs Adebayo, who is at the centre of the injustice done to our great University, to apologise. In other climes, she would have been given stricter samctions .
Given this scenario, we therefore warn any external elements to stay clear of this issue. We are for peace in our university, and we will not allow any external force to come and disrupt the peace we currently enjoy. Those who cannot stage such impunity in their home institutions should beware of coming to ours to cause mayhem. We equally urge security agents to join us in resisting devilish external forces from disrupting the peace we now enjoy, as brought about by the 8 April 2025 resolutions of the Governing Council of our great University,”.
“We finally call on the Federal Government, through the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Tunji Alausa, the Honourable Minister for Women Affairs, Mrs. Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Senate Committee on Education, the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education, the Senate Committee on Women
Affairs, the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs, the National Agency for
Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigeria Labour Congress and all other stakeholders in the protection of the rights of Nigerians to ignore the ranting by the western SSANU zone on disrupting the peace in our University and prevail on them to allow peace to reign,” FUOYE SSANU factional caucus said.
