The President of the Alumni Association of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Temitope Elijah Arogundade, has urged members of the university community to prioritise peace and the institution’s image, as the substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina, resumes office on Tuesday, 14 October 2025.
Professor Fasina had applied in April to embark on a part of his accumulated leave for research purposes, and this was granted at an emergency meeting of the university’s Governing Council.
Rather than approving the 11-month leave requested by the vice-chancellor, the end of which would have coincided with the termination of his five-year tenure of office, the Council only approved six months, asking him to resume in October.
Shortly before applying for leave, the university’s governing council had just exonerated Professor Fasina of the sexual harassment allegation levelled against him by a female former Director of Works on the campus, Engineer Folasade Adebayo.
The university’s branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) had accused the VC of sexually harassing one of its members, forcing the governing council to set up an independent committee to probe the development.
However, led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, the Council cleared the VC of all allegations, and chided Engineer Adebayo for secretly recording her conversations with the VC, saying it was a deliberate ploy to blackmail the VC into confirming her as substantive Director of Works.
The matter had generated uproar at the time, and many felt the VC had embarked on a leave to calm frayed nerves while the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academics, Professor Olubunmi Shittu, was appointed as acting vice-chancellor.
But the university’s Public Relations Officer, Foluso Ogunmodede, has consistently clarified this belief, saying it is erroneous for anyone to claim that Professor Fasina went on leave over any allegation.
“Let me clarify that nothing caused the VC’s decision to go on leave. He only went on his accumulated research leave. Pure and simple! Whatever issues anyone is talking about were duly addressed and resolved before he embarked on leave. So if people are now tying his leave with any matter, that is incorrect,” Mr Ogunmodede had said in a recent media chat.
Therefore, ahead of the VC’s resumption, the alumni president urged all stakeholders to allow peace to reign on the campus, saying Professor Fasina has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the 14-year-old institution.
Speaking with journalists at the weekend, the president said Professor Fasina’s tenure is expected to end in February 2026, saying the ongoing process to select his successor should be allowed to go on peacefully.
Mr Arogundade said, “As alumni, we are the ambassadors of FUOYE. Enough is enough – we must begin to portray our university in a very good light. Going forward, there must be peaceful coexistence because it is only under a peaceful atmosphere that we can make progress.
“There is no doubt that Professor Fasina has done well. It is very obvious to everybody. As one of the pioneer students of this university, I know what I am saying. We know where we were before, and we know where we are now. So, when he returns, we expect him to consolidate where necessary so that FUOYE can continue to align with its vision.
On the succession process, with a new vice chancellor expected within five months, Arogundade said the alumni body was confident in the university’s Governing Council to produce a worthy vice-chancellor.
“We would want a personality that can continue from where we are now and take the university to greater heights. I believe the process will be free and fair,” he said.
He also appealed to fellow alumni to remain united in advancing FUOYE’s reputation. “Many of our members are doing wonderfully well within and outside the country. We must continue to raise the flag of the university high and contribute to its development,” he urged.
Since he assumed office in February 2021, Professor Fasina has steered the university into an era of peace, growth, and innovation.
He inherited a campus riddled with unrest but quickly restored stability by introducing regular management and senate meetings, fostering participatory governance, and prioritising staff and students’ welfare. The result has been four years of uninterrupted harmony in the university community.
Academically, his tenure has witnessed remarkable expansion. FUOYE has achieved successful accreditation in all 60 exercises conducted and secured approvals for dozens of new programmes, ranging from Medicine and Surgery to Cybersecurity, Journalism, and Forensic Accounting.
The creation of new faculties, departments, and the FUOYE Business School reflects his vision of aligning the university with global trends. Student enrolment has surged to over 40,000, making FUOYE the fourth most subscribed university in Nigeria in 2025 JAMB.
Professor Fasina has prioritised welfare and infrastructure, promoting over 2,000 staff, providing shuttle services, improving hostels, and constructing new facilities such as the Student Union Building, Freedom Park, and multiple directorates and institutes.
ICT development has been transformative on the campus, as it is evident in the internet bandwidth that tripled, with fibre connectivity extended across campuses, and FUOYE’s ascension in Webometrics from 76th to 17th in two years.
The university has also excelled in sports, ranking among the best in Nigeria and Africa, while strengthening community ties through scholarships, land donations, and partnerships with other institutions.
Through these strides, Professor Fasina has repositioned FUOYE as one of the fastest-growing, most vibrant, and most peaceful universities in Nigeria.
