The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has been suspended by the institution’s Governing Council after facing accusations of sexual harassment from a senior university staff member, Engineer Folasade Adebayo.
A source familiar with the matter disclosed to SaharaReporters on Monday that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, was dissatisfied with the council’s initial handling of the allegations.
The committee’s earlier recommendation, which reportedly asked Adebayo to apologise to the Vice-Chancellor while ignoring the core claims of harassment, sparked outrage.
According to the source, “The minister was very angry with the decision of the council,” adding, “He was unhappy that the council tried to sweep the sexual harassment complaint under the carpet and rather told the complainant to apologise. He called the Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), to register his displeasure.”
In response to the minister’s concerns, Senator Ndoma-Egba promptly called for an emergency online meeting of the university’s Governing Council, which held at 2:00 PM on Monday. The outcome of that meeting was the suspension of Prof. Fasina.
The source further explained that Prof. Fasina appealed to the Council, requesting to be allowed to go on his accrued leave rather than face outright suspension. The Council eventually accepted this request, granting him six months’ leave from his duties.
“You know, as a Vice-Chancellor, if you wish to end your tenure early, especially within six months to the end of your term, you are permitted to proceed on your accumulated leave,” the source explained. “Although Fasina’s tenure is due to end in August, the Council has now asked him to proceed on that leave effective immediately.”
To ensure leadership continuity at the university, the Council has appointed a soil science expert and current Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Professor Samuel Olubunmi Shittu, to serve as Acting Vice-Chancellor for the next six months.
This decision was confirmed in an official statement released by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mufutau A. Ibrahim.
According to the statement: “The Governing Council of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) at its 7th Emergency Meeting held online on Monday, 14th April, 2025, considered the request of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, to proceed on his accumulated Annual and Research Leave and approved six (6) months, being 126 working days out of his total entitlements of 228 days with effect from today, Monday, 14th April, 2025.
“In addition, the Governing Council appointed Prof. Olubunmi S. Shittu, the incumbent Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, who is also the most senior of the three (3) Deputy Vice-Chancellors, as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University for a period of six (6) months with effect from today, Monday, 14th April, 2025.”
