Blames ordeal on individuals connected with varsity

It was a dramatic twist in Ado-Ekiti in the early hours of yesterday as some members of staff and students of Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) prevented an attempt by the police to arrest the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole.

The VC had raised an alarm that policemen had surrounded his residence in Ado-Ekiti and the development drew members of the university community, including academic and non-academic staff and students, to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence, where they gathered in solidarity and opposed the alleged arrest.

Ogunwole, while speaking with journalists at his residence in Ado-Ekiti, said the policemen arrived at his official residence shortly after he had gone to bed at about 3:00 a.m.

The vice-chancellor said he initially declined to come out because he was unsure whether the men were genuine police officers and wanted to establish the reason for their presence.

He added that the police team later told him that they had a warrant, but he insisted that he would not leave the house without first being properly informed of the basis of the arrest.

Ogunwole, however, linked the development to a petition allegedly written by some individuals connected with the university, including the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, and a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Dr Kehinde Adeola.

The vice-chancellor said he had instructed his lawyers to approach the police to explain that the matter was already before the court and that he was available to respond to any lawful invitation.

Ogunwole said he believed that the latest development could have been handled through an invitation rather than surrounding his residence.

He, however, said that he remained confident in the rule of law and would continue with his administration’s plans to reposition the university.

Reacting to the development, Director of Public Affairs and Communication, Dr Sunday Saanu, described the police action as mischievous, saying the vice-chancellor had earlier honoured the police invitation “on account of a spurious petition written by some elements in the system.”

Also speaking, the FUOYE branch Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Ojo Fagbuagun, said the union was at the residence to oppose what he described as an attempt to intimidate the vice-chancellor.

Fagbuagun alleged that some individuals who had been entrenched in the university’s previous administration were opposed to changes being introduced by Ogunwole.