FUOYE appoints replacement for VC Abayomi Fasina after sexual assault probe

The governing council of Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) has appointed an acting vice-chancellor to replace Abayomi Fasina.

Foluso Ogunmodede, the university spokesperson, confirmed the development to TheCable on Monday.

Olubunmi Shittu, the deputy vice-chancellor for academics, has been named as the acting vice-chancellor for the next six months.

The appointment, Ogunmodede said, was ratified at an emergency meeting of FUOYE’s governing council.

This followed a request by Fasina, who was until now the vice-chancellor, to proceed on his accumulated annual and research leave.

Ogunmodede said the council approved six months, being 126 working days of Fasina’s total entitlement of 228 days.

He said Fasina’s leave is expected to commence from April 14, 2025.

Fasina’s departure comes ahead of the scheduled end of his tenure as VC in February 2026.

His leave period is expected to precede the commencement of the process to appoint a substantive replacement.

Over the past month, Fasina was the subject of an assault and staff harassment probe.

In late 2024, the VC was accused of sexual harassment and victimisation by Folashade Adebayo, a female senior lecturer.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) also accused Fasina of inappropriate conduct towards the lecturer.

They claimed that Fasnina had made advances at the senior lecturer, then proceeded to remove her from office after she refused.

These allegations prompted calls for a probe into the university’s financial and administrative operations during Fasina’s tenure.

The university council would set up a committee to investigate the matter, later clearing the VC of the allegations.