FUOYE Students, Staff Foil Police Attempt To Arrest Vice Chancellor

An attempt by the police to unlawfully arrest the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, was foiled yesterday by students and staff of the institution.

Professor Ogunwole had, at the early hour of Wednesday, raised the alarm that some policemen whose mission was unknown had surrounded his residence in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital.

It was gathered that members of the university community, including academic and non-academic staff and students, immediately mobilised themselves to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence to stop the alleged arrest.

The VC, while addressing newsmen in his residence, said the policemen arrived at his official residence around 6:10am, shortly after he had gone to bed at about 3am, adding that his children woke him up after noticing the security personnel around the house.

Professor Ogunwole said he initially declined to come out because he was not sure they were genuine police officers and wanted to establish the reason for their presence.

The police team, he said, later told him they had a warrant of arrest, but he insisted he would not leave the house without first being properly informed of the grounds for the arrest.

Ogunwole said the development was unconnected to a petition allegedly written by some individuals in the university cycle, including the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, and a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Dr Kehinde Adeola.

He stated that the disagreement stemmed from an audio recording he allegedly leaked, which prompted the university management to ask those involved to appear before an investigative committee to explain its contents.

The matter, according to him, had subsequently gone to court, while he had also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over what he described as threats to his life and workplace.

The Vice-Chancellor said he had instructed his lawyers to approach the police to explain that the matter was already before the court and that he was available to respond to any lawful invitation.

He recalled that he had previously honoured a police invitation in connection with an earlier petition, saying he appeared with his lawyers and was questioned from morning till evening before being released on self-recognition.

Ogunwole said he believed the latest development could have been handled with an invitation rather than by surrounding his residence.

“Somebody of my calibre would not run away anywhere. Rather than surrounding my house, there are other better approaches to invite me,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor, however, said he remained confident in the rule of law and would continue with his administration’s plans to reposition the university.

He said, “There is no turning back. Our mission is to create a new face for FUOYE. No U-turn, no diversion. We are resolute.”

Also speaking, the FUOYE branch chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Ojo Fagbuagun, said the union was at the residence to oppose what he described as attempts to intimidate the Vice-Chancellor.

Fagbuagun alleged that some individuals who had been entrenched in the university’s previous administration opposed changes introduced by Ogunwole.

He accused unnamed individuals of alleged irregularities, including “illegal promotion, abnormal promotion, mismanagement of funds” and other forms of misconduct, but did not provide evidence for the allegations during the interview.

He also accused the former Vice-Chancellor, Fasina, of using police petitions rather than internal mechanisms to resolve disputes within the university.

Fagbuagun said the academic staff would resist what he described as further attempts to harass or intimidate the Vice-Chancellor.

“We are here this morning to show the whole world that our VC cannot be intimidated,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), FUOYE branch, Comrade Oluwashola Babafemi, said members of the association were at the residence to protect what he described as the peace and progress being experienced under the present administration.

Babafemi said Ogunwole had made himself accessible to staff and paid attention to their welfare, adding that the association did not want anything that could disrupt the university’s current direction.

The branch secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Comrade Emmanuel Adegun, said members were alerted that police officers had arrived at the Vice-Chancellor’s residence and might attempt to take him away.

Adegun said the union decided to mobilise to the residence to show solidarity with Ogunwole.

A non-teaching staff member, Victoria Adeyoju, also called for an end to what she described as attempts to intimidate the Vice-Chancellor, saying staff wanted peace and good governance in the university.

In his reaction to the development, the Director of Public Affairs and Communication, Dr Sunday Saanu, described the police action as mischievous, saying the Vice Chancellor had earlier honoured the police invitation on “account of a spurious petition written by some elements in the system.”