THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ibadan Zone has raised an alert over alleged attempt by the University of Ilorin management to sack the chairman and secretary of the branch for whistle-blowing on corruption in the university.
It asked EFCC and ICPC to make public results of their investigations on the whistle blowing of the union against the University of Ilorin.
The union further called on the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu as well as the Chairman Governing Council to call the University management to order before plunging the university to another legal crisis.
It urged the Acting President to ensure that the University of Ilorin is not treated to be above the law by the Buhari-led government.
This was contained in a press statement issued in Ibadan after the Zonal meeting of the Union signed by the Zonal Chairman, Dr Ade Adejumo and Dr Deji Omole, Chairman University of Ibadan Chapter.
They noted that it was shocking the federal government seems to choose to prosecute only whistle blowing adding that the anti-corruption can be seen to be selective in prosecution if only those perceived enemies of the government are prosecuted after whistle blowing.
The duo of UNILORIN ASUU chairman and Secretary, Dr Kayode Afolayan and Dr Solomon Oyelekan respectively had been suspended for four months for signing a document on behalf of ASUU and presenting same at the EFCC and ICPC on alleged corruption and fraud being perpetrated.
“The University of Ilorin Administration is bent on terminating the appointment of Union officials critical of its corruption, lawlessness, dictatorialness and disregard of democratic norms. The union is hopeful that the new Chairman of Council of UNILORIN, Dr. Jubril Oyekan will act positively to prevent the University from sliding down further and being drawn into another round of tussle with our union. We believe he would not be part of a grievous scandal of a Council submitting to the whims of the Administration and terminating the appointments of scholars because they blew the whistle on the wife of the Vice Chancellor or because they alerted the same Council to corrupt practices in the institution. In the meantime, we again call on the relevant agencies to furnish members of the public with the result of their investigations on the petitions submitted by the union. We call on the Visitor to the University and other supervising agencies to prevail on this public institution to stop the continuous harassment of critical voices of dissent.”
Expressing confidence of a positive response to its call, ASUU called for cessation of harassment and victimization of members of the union who are speaking truth to power.
“After series of attempts by the union to make the university return to the path of decency, the union had no choice than to file petitions before the EFCC, ICPC, CCB and the Visitor to the University over the monumental infractions that have become endemic in the University of Ilorin. Also recently, in a three part investigative report, The Nation newspaper of March 14, 15 and 16 2017 brought out many of the gory details of the UNILORIN anomaly in graphic terms. In addition, the immediate past and the current administration have been exposed as corrupt, nepotistic and lawless. To say the least, the university can no longer be regarded as a university in the proper meaning of the word.
“On February 6 the Branch of the Union in the University of Ilorin drew attention to the malfeasance of the VC employing his wife, Mrs Toyin Ambali under shady circumstances and promoting her within a year instead of the three years allowed by regulation. Rather than retrace his steps, the Vice-Chancellor, apparently to avenge the exposure of his wife directed that the Chairman and Secretary be issued with a query.”
