Sex-for-Favours scandal: SSANU rejects apology ultimatum, demands FUOYE VC’s suspension, Council dissolution
By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
http://www.newsportng.com.ng The Western Zone of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has rejected the seven-day ultimatum issued to its members to tender letters of apology over their roles in exposing a sex-for-favours scandal involving the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Abayomi Sunday Fashina.
The union, in a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, also called for the immediate dissolution of the university’s Governing Council and the suspension of Professor Fashina, accusing the Council of protecting the VC while punishing whistle-blowers and the victim of sexual harassment.
SSANU alleged that the Council’s decisions, taken at its meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, amounted to a grave miscarriage of justice and a deliberate effort to shield the Vice Chancellor, despite evidence of inappropriate conduct towards a married subordinate, Engineer Folashade Adebayo.
“The Governing Council’s actions represent a desperate attempt to protect the villain while further victimising the victim. Rather than address the power imbalance and ethical violations, the Council chose to focus on the method of exposure—condemning the recording instead of the repugnant content,” said Dr. Abdussobur Olayiwola Salaam, SSANU’s National Vice President and Chairman of the Western Zone.
SSANU faulted the Council’s claim that the audio evidence which captured the Vice Chancellor making suggestive statements such as “I will not accept your rejection” and “Make me happy and I will make you happy” was intended for blackmail. The union maintained that the recordings only confirmed what it had warned about: a toxic abuse of power and position within the university hierarchy.
The union further condemned the sanctions meted out to its branch leaders, Comrades Benjamin Faleye and Ayomikun Aluko, describing them as vindictive and aimed at silencing dissent within the institution. It described the seven-day ultimatum for an apology as a trap to pave the way for their dismissal.
“We reject this intimidation in its entirety. The Council’s so-called magnanimity in asking for an apology is an insult to our collective intelligence. Our comrades are being punished for standing on the side of truth and justice,” the statement added.
SSANU also took a swipe at the Council’s reference to a police investigation report allegedly clearing the Vice Chancellor, explaining that the probe by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police focused on financial infractions, not sexual harassment.
“The Council’s reliance on that report is misleading and dishonest. The unit in question does not have the mandate to investigate sexual offences. Moreover, to claim that Engineer Adebayo never filed a complaint is a brazen lie aimed at whitewashing the Vice Chancellor’s misconduct,” the union said.
In light of what it termed a “total compromise of institutional ethics,” SSANU called on the Federal Government to immediately dissolve the FUOYE Governing Council, suspend the Vice Chancellor, and initiate an independent investigation panel to probe the matter thoroughly.
The union also urged the Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Tunji Alausa, to act decisively to salvage the image of the Nigerian university system, warning that inaction could result in industrial action across universities in the Western Zone and beyond.
Other stakeholders, including the Minister of Women Affairs, National Assembly Committees on Education and Women Affairs, ICPC, NAPTIP, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), were also urged to intervene in what SSANU described as a case with the potential to trigger national unrest in the tertiary education sector.
SSANU declared that it has begun mobilising its 26 branches across the Western Zone for a possible strike action if the government fails to act swiftly.
“An injury to one is an injury to all. This is not just about FUOYE; it is about the soul of our educational institutions and the fight for dignity, justice, and accountability,” the statement concluded.
