By; Niyi Ogungbola, Abeokuta.
The crisis rocking the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has taken another dimenssion as the Congress of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) of the institution demanded for the immediate removal of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole over his alleged subvertion of a criminal investigation being carried out in the institution.
They also demanded for the immediate dissolution of the university’s Governing Council under the chairmanship of Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe for his role in conniving with the institution’s VC to subvert investigation by the suspension of three of its members who are signatory to a petition before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Rising from its emergency meetingheld at the university’s premises, the Congress declared Oyewole lacked the audacity to victimize three of their members who were signatory to the 17 count charge petition for which the VC is standing trial before EFCC.
They therefore called on President Buhari to partner them in fighting corruption at FUNAAB by ordering the duo of the VC and the Pro Chancellor, Senator Ogunlewe to stop exercising their functions as officials of the university forthwith.
Chairman of the FUNAAB’s chapter of SSANU, Comrade Rotimi Fasunwon, who announced the decision of the association, accused Professor Oyewole of scheming to subvert the criminal investigation currently being carried out by the EFCC by ordering three of their members to keep off the university, thereby making them inaccessible for EFCC officials.
Citing Sections 5/10/1 (Interdiction) of the FUNAAB’s (formerly UNAAB) Senior Staff Rules and Regulations which prohibits him from functioning as official of the university “while still under criminal investigation”, SSANU held that Oyewole’s suspending the three staff of the university was illegal since himself is presently undergoing criminal investigation under the EFCC.
The executive committee of SSANU FUNAAB under the chairmanship of Fasunwon had convened the emergency congress to take a position on three members of the association who were suspended by the VC, Oyewole.
The affected members are SSANU National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Salam Sobbor; former SSANU National Deputy President, Comrade Emmanuel Bankole as well as FUNAAB’ former Public Relations Officer, Comrade ‘Lasun Somoye.
Professor Oyewole had in the letter of suspension issued and signed by the institution’s Registrar, M. O Ayoola which was read to the congress by Fasunwon, accused the trio of Sobbor, Bankole and Somoye of “meddlesomeness and confirmatory evidence” in the act prejudicial to the smooth running and governance of the university.
But taking position on the matter of their members yesterday, the congress resolved that the VC erred in suspending the trio of Sobbor, Bankole and Somoye particularly that they were neither queried, nor made to seat before any disciplinary committee constituted by the university before.
A Congress member, Comrade Jiboku Ayodeji moved the motion for the suspension of the VC and the dissolution of the governing council under its chairman, Senator Ogunlewe.
Jiboku argued that it was abnormal for the VC of a university administration to take such a unilateral decision when himself was still under “criminal investigation”.
The congress however, ordered Professor Oyewole to vacate office as well as the institution’s VC residential lodge, while the entire congress members proceeded to the Senate Building where they put the office under lock and key.
The SSANU members further threatened to ensure that the institution goes under lock and key as from last Thursday to make the premises of the university inaccessible for the management.
