The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has cautioned the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) against any action capable of disrupting peace and academic activities at the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
In a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, the leadership of NANS Southwest Zone D, condemned and rejected what it called ‘veiled threats’ by SSANU Western Zone to mobilise its members across 26 universities in the zone for an industrial action or protest in FUOYE.
Earlier, FUOYE Governing Council had at its extraordinary meeting exonerated the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, of sexual allegations against him, found two leaders of FUOYE SSANU culpable of misconduct and directed them to write letters of apology and undertaking to abide with the laws of the university within seven days, although the council lifted their suspension with forfeiture of their half salaries during the period of suspension.
SSANU National Vice President, Western Zone, Abdussobur Salaam, in reaction, had in a statement on Thursday, rejected FUOYE Governing Council’s decision on the allegation of sexual harassment levelled against the VC.
Salaam had stated, ‘We have begun mobilisation of all 26 universities in the Western Zone of SSANU for a possible industrial action and we shall not stop until our demands are met’.
But NANS Southwest Zone D Coordinator, Taiwo Owolewa; General Secretary, Olutunde Oluwole; and Public Relations Officer, Eromidayo Kuku, stated that ‘Nigerian students and the entire NANS structure in the South-West and beyond will resist such moves with even greater mobilization across our over 70 tertiary institutions comprising more than 300,000 students.
‘We state without ambiguity that we will not fold our arms and watch any individual or group, whether union or non-union, plunge our institution into chaos or truncate the academic calendar that affects the future of over 50,000 students at FUOYE’.
The NANS leaders stated, ‘This is not a threat; this is a declaration of readiness to protect the academic future of Nigerian students.
‘FUOYE or any of our institutions in Southwest is not a battleground for political vendettas or union showdowns. Any attempt to use our campus to settle scores or create chaos will be met with legal, peaceful, but unshakable resistance from the student body’.
The student leaders, however, advised SSANU to pursue its grievances through the proper legal and administrative channels rather than resorting to disruptive actions that may lead to further crises.
They urged all stakeholders ‘to intervene decisively to ensure that the peace and stability of FUOYE and other institutions are not compromised. We are committed to dialogue, justice, and equity, but we will not allow the future of Nigerian students to be jeopardized by anyone hiding under the guise of unionism’.
In another development, the student body said it aligned with the findings of the panel which probed the sexual allegation against the VC, especially the conclusion that there was no case of sexual harassment, corroborated by previous investigations conducted by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and statements by the concerned parties.
‘Our foremost concern remains the welfare of students. We call on the university management to prioritize student-centred policies and uphold the ideals of fairness, accountability, and inclusiveness in decision-making.
‘We also support the Council’s plans to initiate a Peace and Reconciliation Committee and onboarding/reorientation programs, which we believe will help reset the institutional culture in a positive direction’, the body stated.
