Foluso Ogunmodede (PRO)
Following report by the Governing Council of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) exonerating Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina of sexual harassment initiated against him by Engr. Folasade Adebayo, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olubunmi Samuel Shittu has inaugurated a reconciliation committee.
The committee set up after an emergency meeting with the Governing Council would look into various contentious issues affecting the university.
In a statement by the university’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shittu, the committee would not only look at various issues which had negatively impacted the university’s image but tackling divisive tendencies against the university.
This decision to bring together warring parties, was however taken during the emergency meeting with the university Governing Council.
Professor Shittu said the reconciliation committee would comprise both the internal and external members of the council, saying that the objective of the reconciliation committee was to resolve contentious issues in the university.
Professor Shittu said : “The reconciliation committee will comprise members drawn from within the Governing Council and outside of the council.
“The objective of the committee is to put all the issues in the front burner in order to put them to rest.
“We are going to consult widely and make sure that the university is returned to the path of stability and public trust.
“All the positive achievements that the university has achieved under the Fasina-led administration will be sustained and built upon.
“We will engage with management members of the University as well as union leaders in order to create an atmosphere of peace in the university.
“We will reconcile all the various interests and we are going to also engage with the students to make sure that the stable academic calendar that we have maintained continues.
“We will not allow anything that will disrupt the stability that FUOYE is known for.
“We are going to also engage with the students to make sure that the stable academic calendar that we have maintained continues.
“The committee will also interface with religious leaders to make sure that all shades of concerns are well protected.”
Professor Shittu is a professor of soil science, who joined the University in 2016 and became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2021.
His appointment as the acting vice-chancellor of FOUYE by the Governing Council of the university followed the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina embarking on a six months’ leave.
