….Says Vice-Chancellor’s reinstatement undermines transparency, accuses Governing Council of due process breach

By Boluwatife Adedokun

The Association for Students Social Welfare (ASSW) has called for the immediate suspension of the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, over allegations of sexual harassment, obstruction of justice, and administrative misconduct.

The student welfare advocacy in a statement by lcused the Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), of manipulating council processes to force the Vice-Chancellor’s reinstatement despite ongoing investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the association’s leadership, ASSW said it was “deeply concerned about a dangerous and deepening pattern of lawlessness, impunity, and abuse of authority that now threatens the foundation of one of Nigeria’s foremost federal institutions of higher learning.”

“A Threat to University Integrity”

ASSW described the situation at FUOYE as “a tragic example of how abuse of office, moral failure, and impunity have infiltrated public universities,” citing ongoing cases of sexual harassment and administrative irregularities.

The group recalled that Prof. Fasina had taken the ICPC to court to halt investigations into sexual harassment allegations — a move it said “betrays transparency, accountability, and moral standards expected of a public officer.”

“It is a grave injustice and an insult to the collective integrity of the Nigerian university system that the same individual is being reinstated through the manipulations of a tainted Governing Council chaired by a partisan figure,” the statement added.

ASSW further alleged that the controversial reinstatement was conducted through an “arranged meeting that defied due process,” adding that students were “mobilised and paraded under false pretences” to create an illusion of popular support.

“Illegality Disguised as Leadership”

According to the association, the crisis reached a climax on October 14, 2025, when Prof. Fasina was “purportedly reinstated” after a so-called “research leave” — a term the group argued has no basis in law or university regulations.

“There is no legal or administrative provision in the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act or in any NUC regulation that recognises a ‘research leave’ for a sitting Vice-Chancellor,” the statement said.

“It was a fictional creation meant to give a false sense of procedural legitimacy to a fundamentally illegal reinstatement.”

ASSW accused the Governing Council Chairman of convening an irregular meeting “without the knowledge or participation of majority members,” in violation of Section 4(2) of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2003, which stipulates that such decisions must be taken collectively at a properly constituted meeting.

The association also condemned reports that “rented students” were mobilised to stage demonstrations on campus during the reinstatement, describing the move as an attempt to “intimidate staff and manipulate public perception.”

Call for Federal Intervention

ASSW urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the Visitor to the university, to dissolve the current Governing Council and suspend Prof. Fasina pending the conclusion of all investigations.

“Your Excellency, this is not just an internal university issue; it is a national test of leadership and integrity,” the statement read.

“We demand the constitution of a Presidential Investigation Panel to examine the legality of the reinstatement, the ICPC investigation, and the pending sexual harassment case.”

The association further called for a multi-agency committee comprising the ICPC, EFCC, NUC, TETFund, and the Federal Ministry of Education to oversee a transparent probe into the matter.

It also demanded that the Federal Ministry of Education publicly clarify that it did not authorise or approve the Vice-Chancellor’s reinstatement, describing claims of ministerial backing as “false and misleading.”

“FUOYE Must Not Become a Republic of Impunity”

ASSW warned that allowing the crisis to fester could set a dangerous precedent across Nigerian universities, turning campuses into “private empires of intimidation and moral decay.”

“FUOYE cannot function as a personal empire where laws are bent, victims are silenced, and accountability is replaced with intimidation,” the group stated.

“The scenes of violence and intimidation witnessed on October 14, when groups of students stormed the campus to cheer the Vice-Chancellor, are both shameful and alarming. Universities are meant to be sanctuaries of learning, not theatres of propaganda.”

A Broader Appeal for Institutional Reform

While calling for justice for the alleged victim of sexual harassment, ASSW reiterated its commitment to student welfare and institutional transparency across Nigeria’s higher education system.

“This is bigger than FUOYE; it mirrors the decay across many public institutions,” the statement continued.

“When rules are bent, institutions captured, and accountability traded for privilege, the soul of the nation is in danger.”

The association concluded by reaffirming its mission to defend student rights and uphold accountability in the education sector.

“We demand accountability, fairness, and justice, not tomorrow, but today. FUOYE must rise again as a citadel of learning, not a theatre of impunity.”