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Summary
FUOYE Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, has been suspended and granted leave following sexual harassment reports and mounting pressure from the Minister of Education after the university initially dismissed the complaint.
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has granted leave rather than a suspension after being indicted on sexual harassment charges. This occurred during the intervention of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
The case began when a senior staff member, Engineer Folasade Adebayo, filed a complaint with reports of sexual misconduct by the Vice-Chancellor. Audio recordings reportedly capturing romantic advances made by Professor Fasina were submitted as evidence. However, the university’s Governing Council initially dismissed the complaint, criticised Engineer Folasade for recording the conversation, and demanded a written apology for “tarnishing the university’s image.”
The Council’s decision drew criticism and led to the involvement of the Minister of Education, who, according to sources, expressed displeasure with how the case was handled, especially the lack of an independent review of the evidence.
Following the Minister’s intervention, an emergency online meeting of the Governing Council was convened by Chairperson Senator Ndoma-Egba on Monday, April 14, 2025. During the meeting, the Council resolved to suspend Professor Fasina.
However, Professor Fasina appealed to proceed on his accumulated leave instead of facing a formal suspension. The Council approved this request, allowing him to begin a six-month leave effective immediately, citing medical and research purposes. His tenure is set to expire in August 2025.
According to his leave request, Professor Fasina has accumulated 150 days of annual leave over five years, along with 78 days of deferred research leave adding up to 228 working days.
In his absence, Professor Samuel Olubunmi Shittu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month period. The appointment was confirmed in a statement signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mufutau A. Ibrahim.
As conversations around sexual harassment and workplace misconduct gain traction in Nigeria, FUOYE’s handling of the reports is now under national scrutiny, with calls for more transparent and survivor-centred protocols in university systems.
