UNIOSUN crisis lingers as Governing Council suspends VC

Okesina, Olawoyin

Will the appointment of Prof. Jelili Alamu as the acting vice-chancellor and the setting up of a probe panel bring peace to the Osun State University, FEMI MAKINDE asks

Osun State University, Osogbo, like many other public universities in the country, is not new to crisis. This probably explains why Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State accused some unnamed Nigerian universities of contributing to the problems of the society rather than solving them.

The governor spoke while inaugurating the visitation panel to investigate the crisis rocking UNIOSUN last week. The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, is the head of the five-man panel, charged with the responsibility of seeking, among others, an end to the crisis that has rocked the ivory tower for almost a year.

The crisis, which set the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Gabriel Olawoyin (SAN), and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bashir Okesina’s camps against each other, resulted in the suspension of the VC two weeks ago. In his stead, the authorities have appointed in acting capacity, Prof. Jelili Alamu, to oversee the running of the university.

Apart from Okesina, the suspension axe also fell on the university’s registrar, Julius Faniran, and the bursar, Fatai Lasisi.

However, whether Alamu’s appointment and the institution of the probe panel will stem the tide of the crisis and bring the university back on the track of excellence and development remains the big question on the minds of many observers. While some stakeholders frown on the decision to suspend the principal officers, others think that is a step in the right direction.

For the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in UNIOSUN, Dr. Seye Abiona, the sacking of the VC is not in the spirit of the law. According to him, only the visitor to the university has the right to sack the VC.

He added, “The Governing Council does not have the power to suspend the vice-chancellor. Only the Visitor can remove him. That is why we involved the national body of the ASUU because if we allow this to stay, then it will become a precedence and councils in other universities will begin to toe the same line.

“If there is a law which empowers the council to suspend the vice-chancellor, let them bring it out. The law is not in Arabic, Hebrew or Spanish. It is in simple English; so, let them bring it out.

“ASUU is not saying that the allegation of fraud is true or not but we are saying that even if somebody is guilty, there are laid-down rules to follow to discipline such a person. Let them follow due process so that normalcy can return.”

But the Chairman, Non Academic Staff Union in the university, Mr. Isaiah Fayemi, disagrees with Abiona. According to Fayemi, the appointment of an acting VC as well as the institution of a probe panel is the elixir for peace to return to the university.

Fayemi said, “The visitor to the university has started addressing the issue with the inauguration of a probe panel. The appointment of an acting VC will also help to douse the tension. I think the move by the authorities it is a welcome development.

“It will help to sanitise the university and restore peace in the school. We welcome it.”

Even as Fayemi and Abiona follow different directions, the Senior Staff Association of Universities in the university, through its Chairman, Mr. Lekan Adiat, declined to support either of the two positions.

Adiat, nonetheless, said SSANU members were only interested in the quick resolution of the crisis.

Besides, further indication that the crisis rocking the university may not end soon has emerged, as some yet-to-be identified persons brought in a religious dimension to the problem.

In leaflets they distributed on Friday, they alleged that Christians dominated the council of the university, a factor its members exploited to fire Okesina, who is a Muslim.

According to the publication, Olawoyin and other members of the council do not want a Muslim as the VC.

Apart from Daramola, other members of the panel are the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Oluwakemi Kolawole, (Secretary); Prof. Jacob Ladipo, Prof. Omotoye Olorode and Mr. Babatunde Adebayo.

The panel, which has four weeks to submit its report, is to investigate the basis of the dispute; investigate the misunderstanding between the management and council with a view to finding a lasting solution; determine the roles of individuals and groups in the crisis.

It will also recommend appropriate steps to arrest the ugly situation and prevent a recurrence in the future; proffer solutions to addressing the issue of disintegration among students, with special reference to the Ikire campus of the university, and any other issues it identified.

Aregbesola said, “As you are aware of late, there has been some disquieting dust being raised in the institution. The Ikire campus was shut until recently. Now, the management and council are at loggerheads.

“When a university is thrown into crises, the non-curricular teaching the students freely take away is fighting, disorder and disorganisation. Whereas, the ultimate learning they should take away from the university is problem-solving skills, and not crisis-generating capability.

“Worse still, the energy of the combatants will be dissipated in writing petitions, counter-petitions and fighting, instead of positively deploying it in teaching, mentoring young and impressionable minds and conducting researches.

“This unintended consequence of the university system regrettably has been a recurring feature in Nigeria. I find it troubling therefore that our universities are not problem solvers but crisis generators. We want to end this and return UNIOSUN to the path of its founding mission.”

Before the inauguration of the panel last week, the crisis in the university had also torn the ASUU leadership in the institution apart. While the Ibadan zone of ASUU is backing Abiona in criticising the suspension of the VC, the UNIOSUN ASUU Secretary, Mr. Wende Olaosebikan, is leading other lecturers to question the position of the zone.

The Zonal Coordinator of the ASUU, Prof. Segun Ajiboye, frowning on the suspension of principal officers of UNIOSUN at a recent briefing, accused the chairman of the governing council of victimising lecturers in the university.

Ajiboye also vowed that the union would protect its members from harassment and intimidation.

When our correspondent contacted Olawayin on the telephone on Monday, he declined to comment on the burning issues. He said, “I am not interested in any newspaper interview. I won’t discuss UNIOSUN on the pages of newspapers. If they feel they have been wronged, they know what to do.”

However, the embattled VC, who confirmed his suspension to our correspondent, said, “The chairman of council wrote a petition to the governor against me. He called a council meeting where he discussed it and he is the one investigating the allegations. He signed my letter of suspension; it was supposed to be signed by the secretary to the council. He has appointed in acting a vice-chancellor, a bursar and a registrar. In other words, he has taken over the running of the university. Let us continue to watch how the scenario unfolds.”