FUNAAB: Pressure mounts on Vice-Chancellor to quit before FG’s sack

…As Governing Council set to recall 23 sacked workers

STRIDENT pressures are being mounted on the embattled Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in Ogun State, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, to honorably exit himself from office before being shown the way out by the Federal Government.

The twist is coming at the time that if found guilty Oyewole risks five years behind bars in line with the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000 No 5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria Section 8 (19), should the anti-graft agency pick up the case and try him for corruptly enriching himself in office.

The government, according to sources, may ask Oyewole to go between Thursday and next week if he refuses to voluntary step aside.

The development is coming on the heels of Tuesday’s commencement of sitting of the Council Committee set up by the Governing Council to investigate lingering industrial unrest and tension in the university.

The committee, headed by Prof. Olufemi Otubanjo, a member of the university Governing Council, has Messrs. Sola Tobun and Polycarp T. Shambo, and Professors O. S. Sowande and C.O. Adeofun as Council representatives, two representatives of the Senate, Academic Staff Union of Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists, Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, and the university’s Legal Officer, Mrs. O.M. Dawodu, as Secretary.

The committee which has nine terms of reference, according to a memo signed by the Acting Registrar, Mr. Obafemi Oginni, dated December 15, 2016, is expected to submit its report by Thursday, December 22, 2016 to the Governing Council, which is set to recall all the 23 sacked workers.

Sources said that prominent persons and some professors close to Oyewole have commenced moves to appeal to him to take the honorable path by throwing in the towel rather than allowing himself to be booted out of the university in a disgraceful manner.

Oyewole, the former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of FUNAAB, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and the former Bursar, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, are currently standing trial before an Ogun State High Court presided over by Justice Olatokunbo Majekodunmi, for allegedly stealing over N800 million belonging to the university.  They are facing 18-count charges, which included conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money by pretence and abuse of office.

GatewayMail learnt that Oyewole, too, is also contemplating on proceeding on his terminal leave ahead of his tenure which ends by May 24, 2017.

“There is no way the Vice Chancellor Oyewole can continue to preside over the university till his tenure expires; no doubt, there can never be any peace at all, because he has lost all the necessary integrity and respect, particularly before members of SSANU and some of his academic colleagues who distrusted him,” a source told GatewayMail on Wednesday.

The source added: “Morally he is no longer fit to stand there as the Vice-Chancellor; legally, he has indirectly indicted himself by paying back N2.5 million – the money he corruptly taken from the university purse; tell me, where do we go from there?  He has shot himself in the leg, particularly by paying back.

“For instance, if the money was legally collected by him in line with university norm, he does not need to refund any money; doing so is a sign that he illegally took the money and if not because of the whistleblowers he would go away with the money at the end of his tenure next year.  That is clearly a fraudulent act.”

The reliable source also demanded that Oyewole should be treated in line with university rules and regulations on senior staff, Chapter 5 Section 11 (3) which spelt out procedures for punishment in case of corruption.

The Chapter says: “An employee of the University shall be summarily dismissed if he corruptly accepts or obtains or causes any person to accept or attempt to obtain from any person, for himself or for any other person, any gift or consideration as in document or reward for doing or forbearing to do any act in relation to the University’s affairs or business or for showing or forbearing to show favour or disfavour in relation to the University’s affairs or business.”

But GatewayMail observed that the rule does not affect Oyewole under Section 5 Section 11 (8) which says: “Only Council may take disciplinary or punitive action (including dismissal from office or service) against a member of staff who is a Principal Officer of the University except the Vice-Chancellor.”

When pointed out, the source said what is sauce for the goose should also be sauce for the gander as Oyewole committed the fraud in the university.

The source, however, referred our correspondent to the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000 No 5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, saying that if found guilty Oyewole risks spending five years behind bars.

Section 8 (19) says: “Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five (5) years without option of fine.”

Meanwhile, GatewayMail learnt that the Governing Council, headed by Chief Olukayode Akindele, would receive and deliberate on the Council Committee report on Thursday after which the management would be directed to recall the sacked workers.

Sources said that Otubanjo committee believed that the first step to douse tension and end the feud on campus is to recall the workers.

“The committee met the workers on Tuesday, and they only invited the sacked workers to write their letters of appeal and asked them few questions on why they want the council to recall them and how to ensure peace on campus, among others,” the source said.

“Like I told you before, the committee is just a mere formality to save face by not just recalling the workers without a committee that probably would recommend them to be recalled back,” the source further said.

© Gateway mail