All appears set for the return of the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof Abayomi Fasina, after a six-month research leave.

Although stakeholders are divided over Fasina’s return, expectations are high from the university community, as the school has put necessary machinery in motion to receive him on October 14.

Fasina had, in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment and subsequent clearance from the university’s governing council, proceeded on a six-month research leave in April. He is expected to resume on Tuesday, October 14, while his five-year tenure ends in February 2026.

Ahead of his return, stakeholders, including alumni, the various staff unions and the university community, have sued for peace, reminding of the need to protect the institution’s image and focus on its development.

How it started
A female staff and Deputy Director of Works in the university, Mrs. Folasade Adebayo, had levelled an allegation of sexual harassment against the embattled vice-chancellor.

An audio recording of Fasina with the female staff, revealing sexual discussions and official matters concerning the university management, went viral which generated huge controversies.

The recordings were reportedly done by Mrs Adebayo sometime in 2023, where she accused the vice-chancellor of unjust treatment following her refusal to succumb to his sexual advances.

An investigative panel was set up by the university’s governing council to thoroughly look into the sexual allegation. The panel eventually submitted its report in April.

Based on the panel report, the vice-chancellor was given a clean bill of health by the Senator Ndoma-Egba-led Council, which dismissed all the allegations against him and condemned the secret recording by Mrs Adebayo.

The Council held that the act is a deliberate attempt by Adebayo to blackmail the vice-chancellor into confirming and making her the substantive Director of Works of the university.

Following his exoneration by the Council, Fasina, in a bid to calm frayed nerves and allow the matter to be laid to rest, applied for his six-month accumulated leave, which was approved.

Following the approval, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof Olubunmi Shittu, was named the acting vice-chancellor, and has since been piloting the affairs of the institution.

Shittu will complete his six-month tenure on October 14, when Fasina is expected to resume.

Stakeholders’ expectations
As Fasina prepares to return to work, stakeholders in the university community have appealed to all concerned to embrace peace and make the university’s interest paramount.

With barely a few months to the end of Fasina’s tenure, stakeholders enjoined the university community to embrace him so that he can consolidate on his numerous achievements in the last four years.

Besides, they noted that the process for the appointment of Fasina’s successor will commence, hence, should be given the opportunity to complete his tenure and hand over peacefully.

Reactions
The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) Alumni Association has appealed to members of the university community to maintain peace and protect the institution’s image as Fasina resumes office.

The President of the association, Temitope Arogundade, stated that the process of selecting a successor for the top position has commenced and appealed to staff members to ensure that peace prevails in the institution.

As the university awaits his arrival, Arogundade emphasised the need for peaceful coexistence, reminding that it is only under a peaceful atmosphere that the institution can make progress.

He also solicited the support of the university community to enable the outgoing administration to consolidate on its achievements and maintain FUOYE’s reputation as one of the country’s fastest-growing universities.

Similarly, leaders of the university’s staff unions have emphasised the welfare of members as their ultimate interest.

Arogundade said there is no doubt that Fasina has done well for the university, and his return is legally expected.

He said the association will continue to support Fasina to ensure that FUOYE becomes that institution people would be proud of.

He urged the university community to prioritise peace and the institution’s image, saying Fasina, since he came on board, has prioritised workers welfare and infrastructural development.

“He promoted more than 2,000 workers, provided shuttle services, improved hostel facilities, and constructed new facilities such as the students’ union building, Freedom Park, and opened several directorates and institutes.

“Going forward, there must be peaceful coexistence because it is only under a peaceful atmosphere that we can make progress. When he returns,
we expect him to consolidate where necessary so that FUOYE can continue to align with its vision,”

Arogundade stated
The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), FUOYE chapter, Abayomi Fagbuagun, said the union is not opposed to the VC’s return.

He emphasised that Fasina remains the substantive vice-chancellor of the university, with a five-year mandate to lead the institution.

Fagbuagun, who noted that no one has any legal ground to oppose the vice-chancellor’s return, insisted that until the expiration of his tenure in February 2026, no one has any legal standing to bar him from office.

He said: “ASUU is not opposed to his return. He legally proceeded on research leave, as approved by the Council. At the expiration of six months, he is expected to return to campus. ASUU has no legal grounds or any reason to say that he should not return to complete his tenure.

On his part, the Chairman of NASU, Abraham Ayeni, said the interest of his union is the welfare of its members, noting that apart from the first tranche of relocation allowance paid by Fasina before he embarked on leave, the university is yet to pay others.

The Coordinator, National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS), Ganiyu Afolabi, lauded Fasina for his contributions to the development of the university since he assumed office.

He distanced the union from objecting to Fasina’s return, saying those nursing such would be doing so in their personal capacity and not on behalf of NANTS.

Afolabi said since the university’s Council is not against Fasina’s return, there is no reason to stop him from coming back.

“As far as our union is concerned, we have no objection to his coming. We believe he went on his accumulated leave, and he is expected to return in the next one or two weeks, NANTS as a union is not against his coming back,” Afolabi added.

However, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), expressed a different view, saying the vice-chancellor was granted leave by the Council in unusual circumstances.

National Vice-President of the union in the south-west, Dr Abdussobor Salaam, noted that vice-chancellors do not proceed on research leave during their tenure, as the practice is that all leaves are accumulated and granted at the end of their tenure.

He alleged that Fasina’s act of indiscipline, which the Council sought to desperately cover up for him, led to the unusual approval of the unprecedented leave.

“Even the abruptness of the leave, and the procedure of approval have made a laughing stock of the Council,” he stated.

“Though SSANU, as a union, could not say that the vice-chancellor should not return after his leave, however, the university has been better off without him, as SSANU in FUOYE has had relative peace in his absence,” Salam said.

He added: “While Fasina held sway in office, he victimised SSANU leaders, blackmailed the union using every weapon, including students, at his disposal, among others. In his absence, our branch leaders have reported relative peace, and we are happy for it. So, if you ask me, his absence, albeit temporarily, was a good riddance.

“We have been on a recovery mode since he was granted the unusual leave, and we don’t want to go back to reactive mode with his antagonistic disposition to the union. Going by his antecedents, his resumption, therefore, cannot be seen as a welcome development and may likely reignite the tensions, which his absence has simmered.

On his part, the university spokesperson, Foluso Ogunmodede, said there was nothing unusual about the vice-chancellor going on leave, since he duly applied for his accumulated research leave, which the Council granted.

“Now, his six-month leave is almost over, and he is set to resume office on October 14. There is nothing untoward in the resumption or ambiguous about the leave, and there is no law that says the vice-chancellor could not resume, Ogunmodede stated.

He dismissed claims of any opposition to Fasina’s return, saying all issues were duly addressed and resolved before the vice-chancellor proceeded on leave.

Similarly, the Director of Pre-degree Programme, Prof Tope Babalola, said the university community is eagerly awaiting the return of the vice-chancellor.

Babalola noted that his return would stabilise things, restore calm, and promote unity.

According to him, a seamless transition would go a long way in sustaining confidence of various stakeholders and calm frayed nerves.

In the same vein, the Dean, Faculty of Computer and Information Engineering of the university, Dr Adebayo Sobowale, said the vice-chancellor duly embarked on his legitimate leave and he is legally being expected back.

Fasina’s scorecard
As Fasina prepares to resume office, many expect him to consolidate his achievements and continue working towards the university’s growth and development.

The Governing Council is also expected to ensure a smooth transition and select a worthy successor to Fasina, whose tenure ends in February 2026. During his tenure, FUOYE has achieved significant milestones, including successful accreditation in all 60 programmes and approvals for new programmes such as Medicine and Surgery, Cybersecurity, Journalism, and Forensic Accounting.

The university has also witnessed improved infrastructure, including enhanced internet connectivity and fibre-optic extension across campuses. With student subscription surging to over 40,000, making FUOYE the fourth most subscribed university in Nigeria, stakeholders are hopeful that Fasina’s return will bring further growth and development to the institution.