The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) panel investigating Vice Chancellor Abayomi Fasina over sexual harassment accusations has got a additional three weeks to present its report.
On February 20, Victor Ndoma-Egba, the pro-chancellor and chairman of FUOYE’s governing council told FIJ that he saw a report of a panel investigating Vice Chancellor Abayomi Fasina over sexual harassment.
According to him, the report stated that FIJ failed to honour the panel’s invitation to attend its proceedings.
Ndoma-Egba, who was a former majority leader of the Senate, then asked why FIJ did not honour the invitation. FIJ confirmed to him that Michael Osamoka, the secretary of the panel, did send a letter of invitation. Before sending the letter, the secretary had called FIJ on January 25 and he was told that the newspaper had no role to play in the investigation because it was not party to the subject of the investigation.
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Despite that explanation, Osamoka sent the letter dated January 28.
The council had set up the panel on January 24 and was mandated to submit its report in three weeks. The timeline elapsed on February 14.
When FIJ called the pro-chancellor on February 20 for updates on the investigation, he said the council was busy with graduation programmes at the school.
“We have been very busy with convocation. If we are going to review the report, it will be next week,” Ndoma-Egba said.
He then called FIJ back and said, “I am just reading the report and saw that they invited you twice but [FIJ] failed to attend.”
Ndoma-Egba’s statement suggested that the panel had concluded and submitted its report to the council.
FIJ again explained that its attendance was of no importance to the investigation and that the necessary parties were Adebayo Folasade, the victim, and Fasina, who perpetrated sexual harassment against the woman.
Ndoma-Egba then said, “But you could have been there and observed how the process went.”
Some minutes before contacting Ndoma-Egba, Osamoka had already told FIJ on the phone that the panel was to report to the council and not the media. “Let me make something clear to you. We are reporting to the council and not the media,” he said.
Following Ndoma-Egba’s statement that the council would review the report of the panel this week, FIJ followed up on Wednesday to know what the outcome of the investigation was.
The pro-chancellor responded that the governing council had given the panel an additional three weeks.
“Because of the convocation, the committee asked for an extension of time, which we have granted. They asked for three weeks, which was granted,” Ndoma-Egba said.
“We just finished a council meeting. It [the report] will be taken at the next council meeting.”
It needs to be pointed out that the university began its 9th convocation on February 17, two days after the panel was due to submit its report.
A source who is familiar with the matter has accused the council of attempting “to buy time” by deliberately delaying action on the outcome of the panel’s investigation.
“What they are doing is to buy time for the VC to complete his tenure. After his tenure, he will then take her [the victim] to court. What FUOYE would do in that situation is to suspend her and direct her to go and concentrate on the case,” the source said.
“The VC has one more year before his tenure expires. All he needs do is wait sometime in June before embarking on some sort of leave or an overseas trip for a month in the name of training. Whatever he wants to do, he has the backing of the pro-chancellor.”
FIJ called Ndoma-Egba to respond to the accusation on Thursday. But he said that he was at a board meeting, requesting that FIJ call him back in the evening. He had not responded to a text sent after the call.
Musa Adamu Aliyu, the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), neither answered his call nor responded to a text message FIJ sent to him on Wednesday seeking to know how far the body had gone in addressing the petition.
Meanwhile, the National Women Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) called for Fasina’s suspension to allow for an independent investigation. The committee made the call during its 50th executive meeting held at the Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, on Wednesday.
“The SSANU National Women Committee expresses dismay and dissatisfaction on the lingering issue of sexual harassment of one of our own in the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, by the vice chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina,” said Ijeoma Basil Kalu, the coordinator of the committee.
“Despite the provocative words used on our member such as ‘I like you’, ‘I am dying for you’, ‘I like your aura’, ‘I will disappear and appear’ in your room, ‘forget you are a married woman’ etc. by the vice chancellor who is her boss and mentor in the workplace, she categorically rebuked him and refused his advances yet he persisted, which is clearly a case of sexual harassment.”
The committee made the following demands and urged relevant agencies and stakeholders, including the ICPC, to ensure justice in the matter:
The immediate suspension of the vice chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, in order to allow for a free and fair investigation of the matter
The immediate re-composition of the council committee already set up to investigate the matter and the re-construction of the committee which is tilted toward fault finding and not resolving the matter
Ijeoma Basil Kalu, the coordinator of the committee, reading the resolution of the committee.
The immediate reversal of the suspension of the branch chairperson and secretary, Comrade Ben Faleye and Ayomikum Aluko, who were only acting in the line of their duties
The safety and security of our members as they are victims of sexual intimidation in the work place harassment and
The speedy determination of the matter in a non prejudiced manner by the Governing Council of the University.
Consequently, we call on the Office of the First Lady (Federal) and (State), Minister of Education, Minister of Women affairs, Nigeria Labour Congress women commission, the Gender Mobile, the ICPC, Stand Up for Women Society, FIDA and all other appropriate and concerned bodies to dispassionately look into the matter and see that justice is served as appropriate.
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Lastly, we stand in full solidarity with our members and all other victims of sexual harassment as we will confine to fight and advocate for a safe and just working environment.
FIJ had earlier reported that a coalition of civil rights organisations had petitioned the ICPC to independently investigate the same case.
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