By Jane Okafor, Abuja
ABUJA: A group of protesters have storme the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, demanding the suspension of Professor Abayomi Fasina as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), to allow proper investigation into sexual harassment allegation against him.
Protesters armed with placards-bearing slogans such as ‘Ekiti Deserves Better’ and ‘Protect Our Women,’ said it is wrong of the Vice-Chancellor to still remain in office while facing investigation for sexual harassment allegations.
The embattled VC has been under investigations over allegations made in a leaked voice note regarding a sexual harassment case against one of his married subordinates, who is a member of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
Addressing newsmen after submitting a petition to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, the leader of the protesters under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society Organisations Against Corruption, Victor Adetola, said suspending the VC would give room for fair and thorough investigations into the matter.
Adetola said: “We have looked at the developing story that has been going on in that university as an organisation that is fronting for the welfare of Nigerian students and the community or the educational community generally.
“The issue will be festering if there is no thorough investigation, and we need that place to be sanitised. Honestly, currently there is a disciplinary action investigation that is going on that was first given a three-week ultimatum.
“After that, they requested for another three weeks ultimatum, even inclusive of the governing council. And for the past six months, nothing has been done. We see that a lot of undiagnosed, a lot of corruption has been festering.
“In fact, one of the most critical issues happening is the sexual harassment that has happened to one of the married assistant directors in that school.
“Specifically, it’s necessary that the leader of the university steps down first, or the governing council relieves him of that position first, so that independent investigation can be carried out on all the petitions that we have written.”
The Daily Crucible reports that in September 2024, SaharaReporters reported about the Vice Chancellor of FUOYE, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, as having been implicated in a leaked audio recording allegedly showing him sexually harassing Engineer Folasade Adebayo, a married deputy director at the university’s Directorate of Works and Services.
In the recorded phone conversation, according to the online news platform, Fasina is heard professing his emotions to Adebayo, describing her as someone “so dear” to his heart.
“Marriage is by chance,” Fasina stated in the recording, further adding, “You are the only right person to confide in, in and out.”
He also claimed his feelings for her were deep and consuming, likening them to something “eating deeply” into him.
The paper on November 30, 2024, reported that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at the Federal University Oye Ekiti branch, petitioned the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, urging him to take immediate action to address allegations of sexual harassment, victimisation, and other governance irregularities at the institution.
In a letter signed by SSANU Chairman, Benjamin Faleye, and the branch secretary, Ayomikun Aluko, the union detailed troubling accusations against the Vice Chancellor, Prof Abayomi Fasina, including claims of sexual harassment and victimisation brought forward by Engr. Mrs. F. Adebayo, the former Director of the Works and Services Unit.
According to the petition, Adebayo alleged that she was subjected to harassment and later victimised after resisting advances from the Vice-Chancellor.
The union claimed that Adebayo initially reported the incident in February 2024 and that her family sent a follow-up letter in October 2024, reiterating their call for action.
Both communications were attached to SSANU’s petition for the minister’s review.
SSANU also raised concerns about Prof. Fasina’s leadership style, alleging abuse of office, financial mismanagement, and failure to comply with university service schemes.
They alleged that qualified non-teaching staff were being overlooked in favour of teaching staff for leadership roles in non-teaching units, contrary to established regulations.
The petition requested the minister’s intervention to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment and victimisation to ensure due process in staff appointments and welfare policies.
In the audio, Fasina is heard saying, “I’ve compared everybody. I can read everybody like books. I don’t only extend love to you, I dont know, it’s like something that has eaten deeply in, that’s how it looked like. You are only the right person to confide in, in and out.
However, Adebayo said it is not possible for her to date Fasina.
But Fasina insisted, saying, “You don’t understand what you’re saying, and that’s where our misunderstanding begins.”
But Adebayo replied, saying, “We cannot fight, sir, it is not possible. I told you that you are my Oga, my mentor, you are like a father to me. Thank God I dont have a father anymore.”
After asking Adebayo some questions about her family background, Fasina said, “Now I understand why you don’t want to misbehave, but not for a person like me. Listen to me Sade, I won’t accept that from you because I have a reason not to accept such from you. For once. For life, I can’t forget you, you will always be in my memory.
“If I write my memo, you will be there and I have my reasons. I told you earlier that if I correct the bursar 10 times, I can only correct you once. You have been so dear to my heart. You have not disappointed me. So why should I? That’s it. I have calculated two plus two together, many things before I came to my conclusion. Except if you don’t really like me.”
“You know that you and Adenigba Adele and some few people; we were in Ikole together. I did not pass my boundary, we have come too far, we have come a long way. But let me tell you, I’m dying for you, I’m dying for you inside, I’m really dying inside.
“I dont do this kind of thing but if someone is in love with someone, as you can see me, I’m thinking about you, I can’t even sleep,” Fasina further said.
However, Adebayo again respectfully countered, saying, “Oga, please don’t do that, don’t allow that to happen, that one is not heavy.”
Fasina continued, “You are blowing ‘grammar’. Someone said he needs something and that he likes you. If I believe in something, I believe in it, and I take discipline appropriate.
“Anyone that I’m working with and I like, because you are female, look Atewoola that works with me I have confidence in him. You are the first person to give me a birthday gift, not even my wife. Sade, I can never forget you.
“But the way you are dribbling me; I was just looking at you. I told you in all ramifications, you are 100%, nobody is perfect, you are somebody I can hold on to, and I can’t let you go as long that you are with me. There is a spirit, an aura, abstract that keeps me holding if you are with me.”
Explaining what he meant by aura, he said, “Good! If you are with me, things work out. I have observed it, aura means anything I have in mind, I always get the result and succeed. That’s shows that our spirits tally.
“You see me always fighting the bursar.”
And when Adebayo pointed that they have quarrels too, Fasina said, “Not really like bursar, if I fought with bursar like 10 times, yours can just be once, it means that our aura and abstract tally together, so for me, I don’t know.”
But Adebayo said,” I’m still part of your cabinet, part of your management, the aura will still be there.”
Then Fasina said, “Listen to me, do you know why I brought you to management?
Adebayo replied, saying she thought it was because of the projects and development in the school.
Fasina said, “That is one, but the most important thing is that I’ve studied that you are clean, very intelligent. Even when we are contributing to something, you are only the person that always contributes to the discussion, others will keep silent.”
Adebayo, however, noted that “sometimes I do keep silent if I dont have anything to say”.
Fasina said, “That’s what I’m saying, you are intelligent. It’s part of IQ. The point is that you are stable emotionally. The point is anytime I look into your eyes, I always feel happy in the meeting.
“I used to look into everybody’s eyes, and see their reactions. If I look to see the reactions of others, I will just take the decision but if I look into your eyes… do you know that there are some people that don’t like you? They beef you. You know that Enny was with us before, I told her not to come again because she misbehaved.
“So when I brought you in, some people don’t like you. In fact, I know what some people said, I can’t just be telling you. When we treated your matter, some people disagreed.
“In fact, they disagreed, I’m the one that told them that they should forget about it, that because you are a female. For the first time, the bursar was unable to talk regarding your case. I said my mind and where I stand. I told them that this one, it will fly.
“They all kept quiet once I told them my stand, it was later that the registrar went to meet Akinkunmi, and that one also wanted to start misbehaving. I later called the late Fasina and told him everything. I told him if the VC said he needed something and he knew that was right, and if he had done something that was bad in the past, they should be bold enough to correct it, and posterity will judge us all because I don’t want to play politics.
“Because later, soon, I will be vindicated. I’m always vindicated. So for me, we never bring anything to this life and we’ll not take anything along when we die. I’m trying to obey the law in the Bible; it’s as simple as that.
“But if someone is dying for love… when you hear what Sobowaale said about you, you will laugh. He said good things about you. He said I cannot compare you with the bursar at all, he said you are very intelligent. He said your way of thinking and doing things is different.
“I think the problem is, you are looking at yourself. Two of us are married.”
Replying to Adebayo who said it is not right, Fasina said, “Listen to me, marriage is by chance, had it been I met you before now, before I married my wife, do you think I cannot marry you?”
He continued, “Just make me happy. Sade, just makes me happy. I beg you in the name of God, make me happy and I will make you happy. I won’t say more than that. I will make you happy, you will make me happy and things will work out fine.
“Things have been working fine between me and you. It seems my wife often notices that I am very close to the women who work with me. I think so but I’m not very sure.
“She knows that you are sensible than others and also you are from Ekiti. The relationship is balanced between us.”
But Adebayo again said no, adding she would never betray Fasina’s wife, whom she referred to as ‘Mum’.
However, Fasina did not relent, saying, “Shut up, that’s what I don’t want you to say.”
Continuing, he said, “Ok let me ask you. How many wives did your dad marry?”
But Adebayo said her father is a king who has three wives, and even happy with having multiple wives.
Fasina said, “We don’t relate the way those people related. We are looking at a situation whereby, I’m not saying that I will marry you and put you at home. It’s not that we want to get married.
“Just a relationship. I have seen people in America and Canada, they are just relating together. And they are dying for themselves any day. I told you is not only about fun; they are just helping each other.
“You can injure me or kill me internally. See you, I’m praying for you, I look at you like somebody who God sent to me.
“I see beyond what you can imagine. What an elder sees while sitting, even if a young man climbs a ladder, he won’t see it. Mark my words—you’ll remember I told you so.
“The point is that, all what you are saying, you only said it on moral grounds.”
Adebayo replied, saying, “On moral ground and on Christian side.”
Fasina said, “There is nothing different between moral and spiritual. Life goes beyond what you are talking about.
“I have been thinking about this for a long time before deciding to approach you and propose to you. I know you might be wondering why I chose to propose to you.
“That’s love. Those who try to pursue me or date me, I always push them away because I don’t have time for them. It is not that they are not beautiful or good, but they are not as intelligent as you are. They are not as mature as you are.
“There are many factors I consider. Some people are only interested in what they can gain from you. They will exploit you, drain your resources, and even attempt to destroy you.
“Sometimes, because of stress, my body just shuts down. But one needs to have someone to talk to and play with. It’s not just about fun but having someone you can confide in. Stress has caused many people to lose their lives. When stress builds up and isn’t released, it creates pressure that can lead to depression.
“But by God’s grace, I’ve been able to use wisdom to handle a lot of things. Yesterday, before I went to bed, I saw more than 11 people. I met with each of them one by one, discussed with them individually, and I was able to get results.
“Imagine Shade that I’m seeing you every day.
“For me I so much like you, and whenever I see you, I always feel happy. And that’s one thing that makes the difference. And that has been helping me. And that was the reason why I brought you to the management.
“So that if I’m seeing you, I will know that you are for me. If other people are not there, this one is for me. Reasons why Ibrahim was fighting for case that it got to a stage I told him to shut up. And I know he will be poke nosing around, that maybe there’s something between me and you.
“I told him to shut up and made it clear that this is where I stand. When I instructed them to give you the letter, I called him and warned him not to test my patience. I reminded him that I know exactly what I did to secure his appointment as registrar. I told him plainly that I am not joking with him—I paid ₦10 million each, making ₦20 million in total. I also told him that he did not deserve his position.
“I warned him not to block opportunities for others. Do you know how many people come to visit me in that room? They are many.”
“And God has always shown me His mercies and grace, better grace. So, I believe that God will help me, but I’m still telling you my position. I know you are stubborn. But God will touch your mind. God is great. I won’t say more than that, you will understand as time goes on,” he added.
