Vice Chancellor of Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has failed to carry out his threat to sue the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) of the institution for alleged defamation of character.

Prof. Fasina had in a pre-action notice from the Chambers of Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN & Co dated Wednesday, 18th December, 2024 threatened to sue FUOYE SSANU concerning allegations of sexual harassment against him due. The association had alleged that the VC made sexual advances to Engr. (Mrs) Sade Adebayo, a married female Deputy Director in the Department of Works and Maintenance of the university.

Reacting to the allegation, Prof. Fasina’s lawyers said in the pre-action notice:

“We have been retained as Solicitors to Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Oye-Ekiti (“our Client”), on whose instruction we write in respect of the above subject matter. We have the brief of our Client to pursue all possible legal remedies regarding the patently and defamatory statements disseminated against our Client by the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Federal University Oye-Ekiti Branch (referred herein as “your local chapter”).

“The statement which was authored by your local chapter through a communiqué issued on the 25th day of November, 2024 and as well as in a supposed petition from your association / union to the Honourable Minister of Education, was disseminated to Sahara Reporters and the general press for the purpose of publishing same to third parties. The said statements authored and published by SSANU and your local chapter for public consumption was captioned in an online report by Sahara Reporters as follows: “University Staff SSANU in Ekiti Petition Minister To Probe Sexual Harassment, Victimization Allegations Against Vice-Chancellor.” The publication under reference, made to the credit and instance of SSANU, was disseminated to the national and global audience both in print and online medium.

Statements credited to SSANU and your local chapter in the said publication under reference includes the following:

“ “The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) at Federal University Oye-Ekiti branch, has petitioned the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, urging him to take immediate action to address allegations of sexual harassment, victimization, and other governance irregularities at the institution.”

“ “Continuing in the report of your local chapter’s stamen, the publication reads further:

“ “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 victimization brought forward by Engr. Mrs F. Adebayo, the former Director of Works and Services Unit.”

“The publication further captured to the credit of SSANU as follows:

SSANU also raised concerns about Prof. Fasina’s governance style, alleging abuse of office, financial mismanagement, and failure to comply with university service schemes. They claimed 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 victimization to ensure due process in staff appointments and welfare policies.

“SSANU explained that there are allegations of financial mismanagement under Prof. Fasina’s leadership, particularly concerning the university’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and other administration practices.

“Ultimately, the purport and clear effect of the imputations/ innuendos credited to SSANU and as contained in the publication/ report under reference is falsely suggestive that our Client is a likely sexual offender likely involved in sexual offences against staff-members of FUOYE. By the same publication under reference, it is suggestive that our Client, as Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, is corrupt and nepotistic, being in abuse of the privilege and office of Vice-Chancellor to intimidate and victimize staff-members while infracting on university schemes and established regulations. In addition, our Client is misrepresented at your association’s instance as involving in financial corruption by mismanaging/ diverting funds of FUOYE and compromising in its entirety the administrative practice of FUOYE hence, the need for an external investigative intervention of the Minister of Education to restore confidence in FUOYE.

“It is immaterial that SSANU in its attempt to absolve itself of any liability placed the above reported criminalities against our Client on the pedestal of ‘allegations’. This does not however change the impression of right-thinking members of the society who read SSANU’s unsubstantiated allegations, digested them and moved on with a negative perception of our Client as a likely corrupt sexual offender occupying a public office, lacking any moral standing, integrity and leadership capacity as a Vice-Chancellor of higher institution.

“These criminal allegations have been thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities, specially the Nigeria Police Force, Following a comprehensive investigation. A conclusive report absolving Our Client of all allegations was issued, thereby vindicating our Client and confirming that the claims are baseless and unfounded.

“The recent publication under reference is thus not only false, the ethical propriety of making such statements is also questionable, particularly in light of the same allegations had been reported to the Nigeria Police Force to which a long-concluded police investigative report exonerating our Client of the alleged criminality was issued and unchallenged. Clearly, the statements credited to SSANU neither qualify partially nor exclusively as statements made in legally excusable circumstances. From the prevailing tone of the publication, the ostensible objective is to irritate, embarrass, annoy, and undermine the integrity of our Client.

“Without a doubt, SSANU has dealt an invisible but serious dent against our Client’s hard-earned dignity and established reputation. Criminal allegations of sexual harassment, embezzlement of public funds and corrupt practices all meted against our Client without any substance, bereft of veracity and made for reprehensible purposes rather than good faith in clearly made to injure the personal integrity of another.

“It is trite law that the deliberate publication and dissemination of unsubstantiated allegations that tarnish an individual’s reputation constitutes defamation. Your association’s continued actions amount to a reckless disregard for the truth and are aimed at causing harm to Our Client’s personal and professional standing. Since the onslaught of your association’s publication aforesaid, our Client has been inundated with several telephone calls, visits and enquiries from his friends, family members, colleagues and members within the academic community within and outside Nigeria.

“In light of the foregoing, we have our Client’s instructions to demand the following from your association:

“An IMMEDIATE RETRACTION of the offensive publication.

“CEASE, DESIST and REFRAIN forthwith from further and or similar post or publication of and concerning our Client, in any manner whatsoever and however.

“PUBLISH a full withdrawal and an unreserved APOLOGY in the same manner as the offensive statement and publication.

“A WRITTEN UNDERTAKING, not to publish any similar or further libel of and concerning our Client.

“TAKE NOTICE that if after seven (7) days of your association’s receipt of this letter, SSANU fails, refuses and/ or neglects to comply with the above demands, we shall proceed to execute our Client’s further instructions to bring your party within the warm embrace of the law without further recourse to your association,

“We thank you for your kind consideration to act promptly and hope you find the assurances of our esteemed regards always.”

Over three months after the pre-action notice, checks by News Express showed that the FUOYE VC is yet to make true his threat to seek legal redress over the alleged defamation.

According to a source close to FUOYE SSANU, “We are yet to get any court notice from the Vice Chancellor who claimed that we tarnished his reputation. His subsequent failure to follow through his threat to sue SSANU without receiving an apology as demanded speaks volumes.”

The source noted that, rather than go to court as he threatened, “Professor Fasina has appeared before the nine-member Council Investigation Committee set up to address the allegations of sexual harassment,” thus indicating that his threat to sue SSANU was apparently an empty one.”