Why VC Fingers Fayose In FUOYE Crisis . It’s a Lie –Govr’s Aide, Unions

Fuoye VC

A new twist was introduced to the crisis rocking the Federal University of Oye Ekiti recently as the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Shoremekun, accused Governor of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose of allegedly propelling protesting staff of the institution to destabilize the school.

For some time now, some unions of the staff of the school including Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT),on-Accademic Staff Union (NASU) had embarked on strike action to press for some of their demands such as review of promotion exercise of 2016, allegation of threat to sack staff by management, and alleged misappropriation of funds by the VC among others.

On the other hand, it will be recalled that there has been a frosty relationship between the governor and Vice Chancellor, who Fayose had accused of favouring the the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the Returning Officer during the Edo State Governorship election.  During the election, there were accusation and counter accusation as the VC also alleged Governor Fayose of making overtures to him to favour the People’s Democratic Party candidate which he rebuffed.

This it was gathered made the governor to be on the side of the striking workers as the VC alleged that the protesting staff members who physically assaulted some academic staff of the school and vandalised their vehicles. Were arrested but that the governor allegedly secured their release immediately.

This, according to the VC was an indication that the governor was behind the crisis the unions had plunged the school into of late.Alleging further, the VC, who was the returning officer for the Edo State gubernatorial poll, said that the relationship between himself and Fayose was strained after on several occasions, he subtlely declined to assist the governor on some matters bothering on employment for Ekiti people and elections.

In a swift reaction to the VC's allegation, Fayose's Special Assistant on public communications and new media, LereOlayinka, said: "On Beyond maintaining peace and protecting the rights of all residents of Ekiti State,  GovernorAyodeleFayose does not have any business with Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

The Vice Chancellor is the one that should search his conscience whether or not he is doing the right thing concerning the management of the university.

Be that as it may, it sounds so illogical that head of a university will stand before the press to say that university staff should be arrested and detained by the police for protesting." there said

However, Shoremekun said: "What is on at FUOYE is a struggle for the soul of the university in which we must never sacrifice the varsity idea for political manipulation. It is against this background that I want to speak to issues that have availed FUOYE:
"We are struggling to insulate the varsity from deeper and strong partisanship of the Nigerian politics.

The university is currently at war with some principalities and powers and I have alerted the relevant authorities about this development, " he said.