The crisis rocking the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) may have worsened over the suspension of the bursar, Mrs. Bolatito Akande.
The suspension of the bursar, which was contained in a letter dated May 5, 2021 by Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, came few days after the Registrar, Mr. Olatunbosun Odusanya, was sacked over alleged infractions.
According to the letter titled: ‘Suspension from the University’, Akande was suspended by Governing Council of the institution at its 4th Extraordinary meeting on 27th, April, 2021.
It added Akande was suspended to give room for investigation into the allegations of gross misconduct leveled against her by the labour unions in the university.
While carrying out the suspension order last Thursday, security operatives were said to have harassed and chased out the embattled bursar from her office in a violent manner.
Addressing journalists on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, Akande described her suspension as unconstitutional and illegal, saying she had not committed any act that could warrant her suspension.
Akande said that it was dehumanising and humiliating she was harassed by the security agencies while trying to gain access to her office last Thursday, saying such brigandage shouldn’t exist in any higher institution of learning.
She explained that Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor sent a message to her last week inundating her of a petition written by Joint Action Committee against her and a panel has been set up by the management to probe into all the allegations raised.
“A text message was sent to me last week Wednesday by one Abayomi Kuku that I was to appear before a panel of investigation last Thursday by 11: 00 am.
“I honoured them and immediately I left the venue of the panel and got back to my office, I met two security men at the entrance and I discovered the office had been locked. The two men informed me that the order was from above.
“I put a call to the Vice chancellor to confirm the development, he told me that he never knew anything about it, that I should contact the Chief Security Officer of the institution.
“All my belongings including the hand bag that I brought to the office on that day were locked inside the office. As I am talking to you now, they were still inside the office, they didn’t allow me to have access to the office.
“Similarly, no single letter was given to me from the management of the institution, except the one sent to me by the Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor.
“In fact, I was chased out of office like a child and low ranking officer. This I found unlawful, embarrassing and undignifying”.
But Special Adviser on Media Matters to the Vice Chancellor, Wole Balogun, denied the allegations, saying all the security men deployed were at the gate and could not have prevented anyone from entering her office.
Balogun said: “Prof Fashina is a law abiding citizen and could not have supported brigandage. It was not true that the Bursar was harassed.
“Let me clear the air that the security men that were deployed at the gate were as a result of the ongoing probe. They were there to maintain law and order.” (The Nation)
