From Olanike Olawole-Orebe
The Management of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has described as frivolous, maliciuos and false the allegations that Federal government is paying lip service to Agriculture, leveled by Media Monitor for Good Governance (MMGG), against the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina.
An online media report had qouted one Otunba Olusegun Monday Folorunso, who claimed to be Director-General of the group, as saying that: “…the VC’s criticism of government may not be unconnected with the pending allegations against him and his interrogation by ICPC for allegedly collecting double salary from two government institutions.”
The report also said that Folorunso accused Prof. Fasina further of “blaming the government that favoured him with the appointment in spite of more qualified candidates that applied for that position”.
But in a swift reaction, a statement by the VC’s Special Adviser on Media Matters, Mr. Wole Balogun, which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, FCT, at the weekend, denied the allegations from MMGG, and described such allegations as malicious, untrue and calculated at pitching the President Mohammadu Buhari-led Federal Government against the Prof. Fasina led Management of FUOYE, which has been providing impactful leadership to the admiration of the University community.
Balogun said MMGG also goofed pathetically when it lied that Prof. Fasina was querried recently by the ICPC on allegations of receiving double salaries from two government Institutions.
Balogun’s statement reads in part:
“While we vehemently deny these allegations and dismiss them as untrue, malicious and calculated to pitch the amiable FG against our hardworking, positively zealous and performing VC, we categorically declare that the allegations are lies from the pit of hell and deliberate campaign of calumny being spread by enemies of progress of FUOYE, the VC, the Nigerian state and even the FG!. These characters are pained for the fact that Prof. Fasina has recorded tremendous and intimidating progress in form of outstanding achievements in just 100 days in office.
“Just recently, one of this same shameless characters spread a falsehood that Prof. Fasina was being querried by the ICPC in Abuja the same day the VC was being hosted by the amiable Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi in his Ado-Ekiti Governor’s office in Ekiti State, where the VC had appealed to the governor to provide more support for the developmental and welfare drives of his administration for the University community.
The foregoing goof confirmed that these characters, particularly, Folorunso and his co-travellers, who are only interested in spreading falsehood against FUOYE, should not be taken seriously by members of the public or anyone.
Folorunso and his paymasters have been disgraced and shamed with the huge developmental strides Prof. Fasina and his hardworking team have recorded in just 100 days in office and in a fruitless and doomed-to-fail attempt to rubbish Prof. Fasina’s good deeds, they rushed to press to make inflammatory statements and untrue allegations.
“It is unfortunate that these shameless characters have been hell bent on tarnishing the image of a very hard-working, good-natured and positively zealous man whose tenure has brought great joy and happiness to the staff and students of FUOYE. Members of the public are invited to come to FUOYE and see the joy spread across the faces of students and staff members since Fasina assumed duty as VC.
“For the records, the celebration of 100 days in office of Prof. Fasina turned out to be an unprecedented celebration, featuring wild applause and hearty appreciations from every quarter of the University community. A very remarkable comment in question came from the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), FUOYE chapter, Mr Ayodele Ojumoola, who gave a heart-warming speech to celebrate the VC. He said to Fasina: “Before you came on board, l used to prophezise to my colleagues and comrades, that the Egyptians we see then, we shall see them no more. And l want to say today that the Egyptians we saw then, we will never see them again. This man of God (Prof. Fasina) came and he didn’t tell us that he wanted to study the situation for six months as we have been used to. But he swung into action and began to give us all that we need as at when due. Before we asked, he would have answered us. He calls us at will and he promptly attends to our cases. Truly, Prof. Fasina has demonstrated exemplary leadership.. He is indeed a God-sent. The last 100 days have been really impactful on us. Mr. Vice-Chancellor sir, we want to assure you that we are behind you”.
Also speaking on behalf of the students, the President of the FUOYE Students’ Union Government (SUG), Comrade Alabi Johnson Sunday, who led a team of highly excited students to pay special homage to the VC at the event, for his support, said: “The vice-chancellor’s tenure has been eventful, happiness-driven and encouraging. He has shown himself as an administrator per excellence. He is our father and great mentor in whom we are well pleased.”
Balogun’s statement further disclosed that : “There are quite a number of landmark achievements that have been made by Prof. Fasina in his first 100 days in office which included, promotion of over 20 academic staff to professorial cadre and full professorship, purchase of fully packaged tractor and other equipment to boost agricultural revolution in FUOYE, provision of amenities such as electricity and pipe-borne water for departments which hitherto, had none, establishment of a printing press for FUOYE, livestock farming, establishment of FUOYE canteen, courtesy of the newly created FUOYE Ventures, establishment of FUOYE Institute of Part-Time Studies which is currently admitting qualified students and which is meant to boost the Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR) of the University.
” Other mouth watering achievements of the Fasina-led administration, included the provision of 50-seater shuttle bus for subsidized transport system for the staff, majority of whom come from Ado-Ekiti on daily basis to Oye-Ekiti, provision of a brand new Sienna car for the Students’ Union Government, (SUG), ably led by Comrade Alabi Johnson as well as prompt attention to and implemention of demands by the students’ body, implementation of several projects that would boost unprecedentedly, learning and teaching excercises on the twin campuses of Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti, i.e approval of on-going projects for building of more hostels on the campuses, approval of SUG secretariat complex, approval of the take -off of FUOYE College of Medicine in October, 2021, establishing of training for Enterprenurial skills for FUOYE students so they could be both employable and self-reliant after graduation, and payment of some arrears of hazards allowance of staff members, among others.”
Balogun noted that it was for the aforementioned acheivements that students and staff applauded Prof. Fasina and his Management team during the 100 days’ celebration on May, 21, 2021 inside the auditorium of the Faculty of Science.
He siad further that: ” Truth is that Prof. Fasina was just relaying his plans for improvement in the area of agriculture to the newsmen during his address to them shortly after the glorious celebration of his first 100 Days in office.
“He had simply assured the newsmen that part of his visions for FUOYE is to make the great citadel of leanring a hub for agriculture businesses. The VC had even lauded the great efforts of the President Mohammadu Buhari-administration put into investing in agriculture and urged the President to continue in this direction as that would solve issues of food scarcity and high prices of foodstuffs.
” There was no where the VC said the President Buhari-led administration is paying lip service to agriculture. This is just a cook up from these enemies of progress who are pained and shamed by Prof. Fasina’s sterling performance and outstanding acheivements in just 100 Days’ in office
” We demand that these enemies of progress retract their false allegations against Prof. Fasina immediately or face legal action from the University Management.
