VC Accuses Fayose of Sponsoring Political Violence in Ekiti Federal Varsity, says my life is in danger
…I have no business with FUOYE, Fayose replies
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University , Oye Ekiti(FUOYE), Prof Kayode Soremekun, on Friday accused Governor Ayo Fayose of fuelling political violence agsinst him and the institution authority in his university to destabilize the system.
Embatled Vice Chancellor said this situation has put both his life and the lives of the management staff of the institution in danger, saying ” our lives are in gander now”
According to him, “the governor was sponsoring some union leaders, whom were becoming so unruly and beat up some lecturers on campus some few days back on the campus”
The university had last week suspended three union leaders, including the Chairmen of Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, Com Ademola Mutiu, his counterpart in National Association of Academic Technologists, Com Ekundayo Ojugbaye and Chairman of the Non Academic Staff union, Com Adebayo Dada for declaring industrial action and for unruly behaviour to the council members.
But Fayose , who denied the allegation through his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka , said he has no business with the federal university.
At a press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Soremekun said Fayose had allegedly been after his life after serving as the Chief Returning Officer in Edo Governorship Election held last year September 28, where Governor Godwin Obaseki had defeated the candidate of the PDP, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Soremekun said Fayose took his resolve to destabilize the university to bare a couple of days ago when he allegedly ordered his Secretary to the State Government, Dr Modupe Alade to bail some union leaders arrested for beating up some lecturers from the police custody.
Soremekun alleged that the unionists were arrested after beating and wounding some lecturers on duty in an attempt to effect total strike in the university occasioned by non-payment of hzrd allowance and allegation of lopsidedness in the promotion exercise.
The Vice Chancellor added that “The unionists were becoming so unruly in recent time. In fact, they beat up some lecturers and we called for their arrest only for the SSG to bail them out acting on governor’s directive.
“I am not a politician and I didn’t expect the governor to be sponsoring violence against me. Before the Ondo governorship election, it was rumoured that I would be the Chief Returning Officer and before I could blink an eye, Fayose released my phone to the world where all
sorts of messages were being sent to me.
“As I speak with you now, my life and that of the Registrar, Mr Daniel Adeyemo and other management members are not safe. They even sent to a top management member ,Prof Amun that they are coming to embarrass him in the church he presided over on Sunday, it is as bad as that.
“This fight is meant to save the soul of our university against partisanship. It is a fight against principalities and power of darkness in high places working to politicize and destabilize our university”, he said.
The VC insisted that the suspension slammed on the union leaders still subsists in spite of the threats and unruly behaviour against the management members. He said he has written to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and the National Universities Commission on the issue.
Fayose however declared, “Beyond maintaining peace and protecting the rights of all residents of Ekiti State, Governor Fayose does not have any business with Federal University, Oye Ekiti.
“The Vice Chancellor is the one that should search his conscience whether or not he is doing the right thing concerning the management of the university.Be that as it may, it sounds so illogical that head of a university will stand before the press to say that university staff should be arrested and detained by the police for protesting”, he concluded.
