By Kayemo News
Director of the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Associate Professor Adeleke Omolade has written a strongly worded petition against the local branch chairman of the University’s chapel of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mr. Benjamin Faleye to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina complaining bitterly about the SSANU chairman’s unethical conduct during the strike action his union embarked upon on Monday.
In a letter entitled: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE VICE CHANCELLOR ON THE SSANU CHAIRMAN’S MISSION TO THE INSTITUTE OF PART TIME STUIDES, AYEGABJU CAMPUS YESTERDAY MARCH 18, 2024: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT.”
Dr. Adeleke expressed displeasure at the ugly incident of Monday, March 18, 2024 at the university’s institute of Part Time studies, a mini campus in a neighboring town to the main campus, Ayegbaju.
The letter reads in part:” I am compelled by obvious reasons to report to you the sinister mission of Mr Ben the SSANU Chairman to our campus in Ayegbajy yesterday. I got distress calls from some of our students early in the morning on 18th March, 2024 that the gate to the campus had been locked by Mr Ben and his team thus,preventing lecturers from carrying out their lawful duties of teaching the students. Immediately, I expedited my movement to the campus after some initial hiccups with my official vehicle. On getting to Ayegbaju campus gate, it was locked. I saw this action as an affront against the university’s authority since the institute had already complied with the directive relating to the strike. It is on record that the institute issued a directive on Friday to all members of SSANU and NASU not to come towork as from Monday 18, 2024 in line with strike declared by their unions. It was further stated in the communication that only menial duties that are customarily handled by the Adhoc Stafflike distribution of permits to students would be going on since these sets of staff are neither members of SSANU nor NASU(See ANNEXURE A). Infact, after hearing that Mr Ben had a misconception about the communication stating that we have employed adhoc staff to be doing their duties, I issued another rejoinder stating expressly that adhoc staff are not to perform the duties of the tenured staff in the institute Due to the ongoing strike many important activities in the institute have been put out on hold (i) Screening of new students (ii) registration and opening of files (iii) preparation for the forthcoming mid semester test (iv) preparation for the forthcoming examination (v) other general administrative duties that are very crucial to the smooth running of the institute.
After waiting for almost an hour at the gate Mr Ben and his team arrived and instead of explaining why our gate was locked he took the whole thing personal and was absolutely confrontational in his approach. I calmly explained to him that we have complied with the strike by not allowing any of hismembers to work and that he has no reason to lock the gate to the campus thus preventing the lecturers from entering classes to teach the students. After a lot of abusive words from him on my person he demanded that my office should be locked before he would open the gate. I pleaded with him that this is my own personal office and that the main admin building had been locked but all my pleas fell on his deaf ear and I had no choice other than to order the few adhoc staff with me to leave the office and shut it immediately. Yet, this did not go down well with him as he instructed his team to do the video and started stating that the National body should take note that we have employed adhoc staff to take over their duties, an allegation thatis far from the truth. I tried to checkmate him not to embark on cheap blackmail with his mission but instead he resulted to usage of gutter languages on my person and the university authorities and I quote “is it because you are close to Fasina and that is why you think you are above the law” You this idiot, I will deal with you” these foul languages continued unabatedlyand all efforts by the CSO and the DVC to checkmate him proved abortive.
Above all sir, there is the need to investigate the mission of Mr. Ben as his mission absolutely connotes personal vendetta and not to carry out his union’s directive. In this regard the followingquestions are pertinent
(i) Why did Mr Ben lock the gate to the campus knowing fully well that lecturers are not their members and they will need to enter the class and teach students even after administrative buildings had been locked?
(ii) Why did Mr Ben choose Institute of part time studiesalone as his venue to carry out his sinister objective when there are other mini campuses like postgraduate, pre degree , Jupeb, Sandwich among others untouched?
(iii) Why will Mr Ben result to usage of personal attacklanguages on my person especially saying that “is it because you are close to Fasina”?
(iv) Why will Mr Ben be preventing lectures from going on even when this is outside his mandate regarding the strike?
(v) Why will Mr Ben be saying that “is it your father’s money they used to build my office? Calling me stupid and idiot?
Form the above it is obvious that Mr Ben practically hid under the unions’ mandate to carry out personal vendetta mission against myself and the university. I want to place it on record that in carrying out our duties at the institute we have showed a lot of respect and care for all SSANU and NASU members working with us.
We have been enjoying good relationship with SSANU . As a matter of fact, the institute remains the only Directorate of the University that has succeeded in getting commendation letter for NASU and SSANU members . It is unprecedented and with the commendation letter, none of SSANU or NASU members have been denied promotion since. The institute has always catered for the welfare and well being of SSANU and NASU as a top priority. This SSANU chairman, Mr Faleye is merely pursuing his own selfish mandate and not that of SSANU.
This is an open-fact that can be confirmed from their members working with us hence, I see no reason why Mr Ben should turn the institute’s campus to a battle ground to perpetrate his sinister motive of personal vendetta.
Again, it took frantic efforts my part and security officers yesterday to prevent the students whose lectures are unjustifiably disturbed by Mr Bens selfish mission from unleashing mayhem on him and his team.
Prayer
Based on the above I implore the university authorities to investigate this incident diligently with a view to preventing future occurrence like this that can disrupt the peace of the university community.
