The management of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, on Monday clarified that lecturers allegedly involved in portal fraud and other infractions were justifiably queried.
Mr Bode Olofinmuagun, the Head of the Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs of the Institution, in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, stated that the queries followed the recommendations of an investigative committee inaugurated by the institution.
Olofinmuagun said the clarification was to set the records straight and debunk an online media report captioned: “EKSU lecturers decry high-handedness of VC”.
He said that the report was written in a sensational manner with a view to attracting undue public sympathy.
According to him, it is wrong to allege that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Edward Olanipekun, a well-known activist himself is high handed and issued frivolous queries to some professors.
The institution’s spokesman described the university as a universal community which has its own ways of operation.
Olofinmuagun said that it was known fact that the university operates a committee system whereby no individual, including the Vice Chancellor, could operate as a dictator.
“Therefore, accusing the Vice Chancellor of high handedness or issuing frivolous queries in this matter does not arise.
“To set the records straight, some staff of the university including professors that were issued queries were those alleged to be involved in the portal fraud and other infractions, but not limited to impersonation, dereliction of duty, insubordination and alteration of examination marks.
“Those found to be involved in the portal fraud and other infractions were queried based on the recommendations of the fact finding committees (and the report of an agency that investigated the portal fraud) in the spirit of fair hearing so that they could have the opportunity to defend themselves and say whatever they know on what they were alleged to have done.
“It is important to emphasise here that the recommendations in all the reports were considered and unanimously adopted by the university management.
“Hence, the decision to query the affected staff emanated from the university management and not from the Vice-Chancellor as maliciously alleged by the complainant(s).
“Nonetheless, the university management under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Edward Olanipekun, will not be blackmailed, cowed, intimidated, stampeded or distracted in its determination to rid the university of all form of malfeasance and misdemeanor.
“Let it be known that the current administration in the university has zero tolerance for any act of misconduct,” he said.
Olofinmuagun said the institution’s management places premium on the welfare of staff and students, in spite of the paucity of funds.
“For instance, Council at its meeting held on Feb. 10 approved the promotion of 30 new Professors and 41 Readers as well as the elevation of scores of non-teaching staff to the positions of Directors, Deputy Registrars, Deputy Bursars, Deputy Directors and Senior Chief Technologists.
“The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University is a democrat and an apostle of due process who will never be involved in any shady or frivolous action against any member of staff because of envy or vendetta as claimed in the malicious report,” Olofinmuagun added. (NAN)
