Senior staff tackle OOU VC over varsity edict

The Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, on Tuesday, protested against the alleged highhandedness of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ayodeji Agboola.

The union alleged that the vice-chancellor changed the laws of the university as it affected congregation elections into the Senate and other standing committees.

The senior staff, led by their Chairman, Dr Abiodun Lamina, stormed the Senate building of the university, the venue for the congregation elections, on Tuesday, asking that the vice-chancellor’s unilateral actions be repealed.

The union claimed that the actions were illegal and detrimental to the university community and must not be used to conduct the elections.

Lamina said the VC attempted to change the university laws without proper consultation or approval.

“This is not the first time; this is not the second time. We have written several letters to him, urging him to follow due process, but he insists that nobody can stop him,” Lamina stated.

The union leader expressed concern that the vice-chancellor’s actions were creating division within the university, particularly between teaching and non-teaching staff.

According to the union, the VC allegedly mandated that only employees with a degree at the time of their employment could be members of the congregation, excluding those who obtained their degrees after joining the university.

This move, according to Lamina, was aimed at diminishing the influence and presence of non-teaching staff among various statutory committees of the university.

“The reason for this protest is because our Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ayodeji Agboola, has refused to listen to our pleas over the illegal clauses he just introduced into the laws of the university regarding the congregation elections into the Senate, university council, among other committees of the university.

“The position of the law is that a degree holder who is a member of SSANU is a member of the congregation and can participate in these elections but the VC, in the new law, said only those who were employed as a degree holder could now be members of the congregation.

“But we have said that this draconian rule will not stay, that it smacks of injustice because many members of SSANU who were employed as National Diploma holders, Higher National Diploma holders have gone ahead to have their degrees, some with Masters degrees.

“We don’t know why the VC is hell-bent on creating unnecessary crises where there should be none. We have written several letters on this but he has done nothing,” he stated further.

He said by the protest, the union was notifying members of the public, particularly the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to intervene on the matter.

Reacting, the vice-chancellor said the matter had been settled, adding that he did not change or flout any edict of the university

Replying to the enquiries sent to his WhatsApp by our correspondent, Prof Agboola said, “We have resolved the matter. Be rest assured, l have not changed or flouted any provision of the edict of the university.

“All staff that were re-graded, upgraded and converted from one cadre to the other were included in the list.”