Minister appoints acting Chairman for FUNAAB Governing Council

…As ASUU, NASU insist on Oyewole must stay

THE Federal Ministry of Education has commenced moves to return peace to the troubled Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in Ogun State.

The Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, has appointed Chief Olukayode Akindele, as the acting Chairman of FUNAAB Governing Council, which also has former Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’abba, Prof. Femi Otunbanjo, and Abba Dasuki, among others, as members.

According to reliable source, the Minister took the decision to restore normalcy to the university not to create further vacuum at the highest hierarchy following the resignation of the erstwhile Chairman and Pro-Chancellor, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe.

Ogunlewe, the university Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, and former Bursar, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, are currently facing corruption charges over alleged misappropriation of N800 million.

The trio had last November 25 appeared before an Ogun State High Court presided over by Justice O.O. Majekodunmi, who ordered that Ogunlewe and Oyewole be remanded at the Oba prison before they were later released after perfecting their bail conditions, while Ilesanmi was returned to EFCC’s detention.

The court had adjourned the commencement of trial of the accused persons till December 16, 19 and 20, while Ogunlewe and Oyewole had returned N4 million and N2.5 million respectively while the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako, also refunded N1.4 million.

Three other members of the university council also refunded money totalling N4.5 million, the fund which was confirmed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesperson, Mr. Ayo Oyewole.

The GatewayMail gathered on Wednesday that the Minister took the decision to appoint Akindele, a member of the Governing Council, in acting capacity after the intervention by the nation’s regulatory body for the university system, the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The NUC had summoned the Governing Council and the management to Abuja on Tuesday for a meeting to find lasting solution to the impasse that engulfed the university since three whistleblowers wrote petition against Ogunlewe, Oyewole and Ilesanmi accusing them of embezzling the university fund.

The university had known no peace since then, particularly after Oyewole, who claimed to be acting on the orders of the Governing Council, sacked no fewer than 23 workers, who are mainly members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

The source further said that Adamu believed that with Akindele in acting capacity he could take necessary measures to restore normalcy to the troubled university.

He disclosed that among the mandates to be carried out by the acting Chairman is to set up a committee that will look into the crisis and how to recall the suspended and sacked workers, and proffer a way forward.

“The Minister of Education has appointed one Chief Akindele as the acting council chairman in FUNAAB.  His mandate is to set up a committee to look into the crisis and how to recall the suspended and sacked workers and proffer a way forward so that peace can reign on that campus,” the reliable source told GatewayMail on Wednesday.

When asked if Oyewole would step down from office, the source said: “The acting chairman is to set up a committee for recall.  Though on moral ground the VC ought to have stepped aside, but it’s the ASUU leaders that have been lobbying that the VC should be allowed to finish his term.

“ASUU and NASU chairmen went with Oyewole to Abuja, which shows he is not a leader, they are the ones literally speaking for him.”

He added: “I don’t think they will recall the sacked workers with a fiat without a panel to make it look good.  Yes the team met the NUC officials on Tuesday, but I can’t confirm the details now.  As for Oyewole resigning, ASUU and NASU have held him captive that he should not.”

© Gateway mail