Ibadan ASUU using media to mislead, spread blackmails against UNILORIN, Management warns

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Nigeria's Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.

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*As Nigeria’s most patronised Varsity rejects ‘terrorist tag’

By Kemi Kasumu, General Editor

“Surely, an institution like this that is actively promoting the nation’s educational ideals and fostering peace and stability cannot be rightly described as a terrorist organisation, except perhaps, Omole has a new definition for the word!”

The refusal of University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) to join in strike actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is being taken to dangerous level as the University of Ibadan branch of the union has continued to mislead members of the public with the use of media to spread false information and blackmails against the nation’s most patronised university.

The management of UNILORIN raised the alarm in a statement issued in Ilorin on Monday by its Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER.

The university was reacting to reports on Monday in some print and online media (excluding The DEFENDER) credited to the Ibadan zonal coordinator and University of Ibadan branch chairman of ASUU, Dr. Deji Omole, with the tag, “University of Ilorin has become a terrorist organisation”.

Lampooning the University of Ibadan ASUU chairman for descending so low to tag University of Ilorin as ‘terrorist organisation’, the UNILORIN management described the tagging as unfortunate especially when it was seen to be coming from an academic of Omole’s stature who it said was expected to know the gravity of using such appellation of “terrorist organisation” for a peaceful and education development contributive institution of higher learning as University of Ilorin based on allegation bothering strictly on internal affairs of the university.

The Ibadan ASUU in a statement on Sunday by Dr Ade Adejumo and Dr Deji Omole Zonal Coordinator of the Ibadan Zone of ASUU, and Chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter had accused UNILORIN over the “sack” by the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali, of ASUU UNILORIN Chairman, Dr. Kayode Afolayan, describing it as the height of impunity ‘for exposing the impunity, lawlessness and disregard for due process’ in the University.

Our investigations revealed that the same Dr. Omole had led Ibadan ASUU in several blackmail related allegations against not only the outgoing Vice Chancellor but also the former Vice Chancellor who is now Registrar and Chief Executive of Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede.

Records showed that those blackmailings came especially at times either UNILORIN was being celebrated for its exemplary qualities as the most stable academic atmosphere in Nigeria and for its performances in terms of commitment to producing future leaders of academic but also moral excellence or any member of the university was being appointed to serve at higher place in the country.

Recall like the rows and flood of such allegations when UNILORIN was sung as Nigeria’s most patronised university having sustained stable academic sessions without strikes or interruption for 17 years and when Professor Oloyede was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as JAMB Registrar.

Our investigations further revealed that Professor Oloyede, accused by Omole-led Ibadan ASUU of “corruption” in his bid to stop his apoountment as JAMB Registrar, however is today the only JAMB boss so far in the history of the Board, whose height of integrity and natural discipline have opened the eyes of the nation and its citizens to the reality that JAMB is not only capable of turning around for excellence the education system in Nigeria but also can contribute to the earnings of the nation, such that where any JAMB boss in the past had remitted to nation’s purse no more than N3million per JAMB examination, Oloyede at one JAMB conduct this year has remitted a total amount of N5billion.

A respondent, claiming to have been believing in the Omole-led Ibadan ASUU’s campaigns of calumny against Oloyede, said last night that, “If President Buhari had listened to this guy, Omole, and his Ibadan ASUU and dropped Oloyede, would Nigeria have been able to discover that we actually have more people of high integrity like him in our country other than the President?

“It is time government beamed its searchlight to Ibadan ASUU with a view to checking them against their hate speeches and blackmails of anything UNILORIN because I know Oloyede and Ambali are not their targets. Remember they kicked against appointment of Dr. Jubril Oyekan by Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of University of Ilorin Governing Council, on the ground of being a Muslim?

“Their target is simply to make people believe that UNILORIN is not a good centre of learning for reason best known to them. Yet we know that they do come to seek help any sitting Ilorin VC to fix one problem or the other for them. Ilorin refusal to compromise integrity is one major grouse they have, I do know.  Now that my eyes are open to the truth they were hiding about Ilorin, I assure you that any other such negative effort by them will now start to fail,” he said.

Speaking in its reaction to the Deji Omole-led University of Ibadan Branch ASUU on Monday, the University of Ilorin management said it rejected the tag of “terrorist organisation” slammed on him by him.

The UNILORIN statement read in full:

“The attention of the management of the University of Ilorin has been drawn to media publications on Monday in which our peace-loving and pace-setting University was described as a “terrorist organisation” by the University of Ibadan Branch Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Ayodeji Omole.

“This is unfortunate, especially coming from someone who is expected to know the gravity of such appellation.

“While the University is not ready to join issues with this fellow, who appears hell bent to drag the good names that Unilorin has made for itself over the years, in the mud, we want to make it abundantly clear that the disciplinary action recently taken by the University against two of its staff, which is the basis for his outburst, followed due process and it was in line with the laid down rules and regulations as contained in the University’s Conditions of Service.

“We wonder when an internal affair of the University of Ilorin has now become the business of the University of Ibadan ASUU Chairman. We recall that this is the same fellow that recently alleged that the University of Ilorin had increased its tuition fees and shamefacedly took the false news to the media.

“As a supposed senior member of the academia, we expect Dr Omole to be circumspect in his usage of words. How can you describe a University that is the toast of most Nigerian parents and the darling of admission seekers as a terrorist organisation?

“The University of Ilorin is proud of its records of achievement as the most peaceful university in the country with an unbroken record of stable academic calendar and an unmatched expansion of academic programmes. These are attributes that have made the University the most sought after institution of higher learning in the country since 2013.

“Surely, an institution like this that is actively promoting the nation’s educational ideals and fostering peace and stability cannot be rightly described as a terrorist organisation, except perhaps, Omole has a new definition for the word!”


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