Ex-FUOYE Registrar Petitions Senate President, Accuses VC Of Vindictiveness, Highhandedness

 

ADO-EKITI - The embattled Registrar of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Mr. Olatunbosun Odusanya has petitioned the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan over his 'wrongful' dismissal as the institution's Registrar by the Governing Council. 

The Governing Council had last week sacked the embattled Registrar following approval by the University Governing Council of the report of the Disciplinary Committee.

The Council, headed by Dr Mohammed Yahuza, had on April 20th, 2021, suspended Odusanya from office to pave way for investigations into allegations of misconduct leveled against him over irregularities in appointments between 1st August 2020 and 10th February 2021.

The embattled Registrar in a petition dated 28th April, 2021 and addressed to the Senate President through the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petition said accused the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina of being vindictive and carrying out his avowed intentions to unceremoniously and disgracefully disengage him and the Bursar.

He explained that, since the Vice-Chancellor's assumption of office on February 11, 2021, he has been involved in maladministration and highhandedness, saying no one in the university can check and advise on his excessiveness.

He accused the Vice-Chancellor of using the Governing Council to wrongfully terminate the appointment of the Registrar without due process for the offence not committed at the emergency Council Meeting held on Tuesday 27th April, 2021. 

Mr.  Odusanya stressed further that, the procedures as in the university Statues to disengage a Principal Officer was not followed and fair hearing was jettisoned for wanting to carry out his premeditated sack. 

He noted that, the laid down procedure for the discipline and appointment of a Principal Officer as contained in the Laws of FUOYE stipulated that, "When there is an allegation, it must be established. Independent investigation committee should be setup, the committee determines whether there is need to issue a query or not, If there is no need for a query the process ends, If a query is issued (by Council), the independent investigation committee commences further investigation.

"A well constituted council will look at the findings of the investigation committee. A well constituted council is one in which quorum is formed with internal and external members present."

He stated further that, "The result should be reported to a well constituted council who determines if findings made are weighty to warrant punishment or otherwise. Hence, council will set up a disciplinary committed to suggest appropriate disciplinary measure by way of recommendations. The Council will then consider the disciplinary committee recommendations. Thereafter, another well constituted council committee will look at it again and take decision(s)"

Speaking on the procedure applied in determining his case, Mr. Odusanya said the due process were willfully disregarded.

He maintained that, the investigation/fact finding committee was not constituted and the report of a committee on the recruitment exercise, set up by the Vice Chancellor was never brought before the Management for consideration, stressing that, it was not a Council Committee, but a report allegedly smuggled by the Vice Chancellor for discussion in a Council meeting through Any Other Bussiness (AOB).

He continued, "When it was being discussed, the Registrar and the Bursar were excused and were denied the privilege to be part of the discussion. There was no fact finding committee; the matter was referred straight to the disciplinary committee and a query was issued by the Vice-Chancellor to the Registrar. 

"Regarding the recruitment procedure. All the procedures, in relation to the recruitment exercise were followed, and that the Registrar, acted on formal directives of the Vice Chancellor for the appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff. For the avoidance of doubt, the procedure as laid down and followed are  listed below:

"The Governing Council approved the recruitment exercise; There was a declaration of vacancies; Approval to employ was sought and was granted by the Head of Service of the Federation. Waiver not to advertise was also granted by the Federal Character Commission; Applicants were shortlisted for various positions as appropriate;

"The Vice-Chancellor/Chief Executive approved the issuance of temporary letters of appointment to be regularized in due course; Certificate of compliance would be issued by the Federal Character Commission, for the exercise, after the regularization exercise."

He, however, expresses shock over the decision of disciplinary committee for finding him guilty of an offence according to him he was not interrogated for. 

"On Monday 19th April, 2021, when the disciplinary committee met, they concluded that they have found me guilty of an offence on which I had not been interrogated. As a result, a suspension letter was issued on the 20th April, 2021. On that same day, they requested that I should come for an interaction on the 22nd April, 2021 without telling me the purpose of the interaction. 

"To confirm that all these moves were pre-determined, an Acting Registrar was appointed on the 19th April, 2021 without my knowledge while I was still the substantive Registrar."

He added that, the Vice Chancellor was being vindictive for not supporting his candidature during the selection process to fill the vacant position of Vice chancellor. 

He maintained that, there was an over-employment.

He emphasized that, although, the Deans and HOD were not carried along during the recruitment exercise, but he raised observation at every point of the recruitment exercise but, the VC, at the time, Prof Kayode Soremekun, directed, as appropriate.

"The major offence the Bursar and I were said to have committed was that we did not support the candidature of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fashina, during the contest for the position of the Vice Chancellor of the University.

"Consequently, Professor Abayomi Fasina, on being selected as the VC vowed never to work with the Registrar and the Bursar, who he felt were too loyal to the former Vice Chancellor. Since Professor Abayomi Fasina became the Vice chancellor, he has issued four (4) queries, each, to the Registrar and the Bursar; all to create a wrong impression of the two Principal Officers.

"Council’s Reasons for Termination of Appointment.

There was an over-employment. The Deans and HOD were not carried along during the recruitment exercise. The Regisrar raised observation at every point of the recruitment exercise but, the VC, at the time, Prof Kayode Soremekun, directed, as appropriate.

"All the allegations on employment should have been directed to the former Vice-Chancellor who had the executive powers to appoint on behalf of council. The Registrar is to carry out the directives of the Vice Chancellor and advise where necessary."

He therefore urged the Senate should nullify his termination of appointment and re-instate him as the Registrar of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.