The Management of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti has received the Appeal Court judgements ordering the reinstatement of some of the disengaged staff of the university and would forward same to the university Governing Council for appropriate decision.
It is important to state clearly that the university Governing Council is the employer of all members of staff in the university, including the Vice Chancellor. As such, decisions affecting staff are to be taken by the Council and not the Management.
Meanwhile, the attention of the university Management has been drawn to some reports on the social media where the Vice Chancellor, Professor Edward Olanipekun, was alleged to have stated that he was just an errand boy and that he advised Council against taken the decision to disengage some staff in December 2019.
Ordinarily, the university would not have responded to such ill-conceived reports that were laced with grammatical errors as any discerning mind would know that the Vice Chancellor wouldn’t have made such statements in such a horrible manner. The Vice Chancellor is a member of the Governing Council and no circumstance can he dissociate himself from any decision taken by the Council.
The university Management wishes to make it abundantly clear that neither the Visitor to the university, Dr Kayode Fayemi, nor the former Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji interfered in the administration of the university. The decision to disengage some staff of the university in December 2019 was taken by the university Governing Council and not by the Governor or the former SSG as being maliciously promoted by some illiterates who don’t understand the workings of a university system.
Furthermore, the decision was neither politically motivated nor to punish anyone; it was taken in the best interest of the University to prevent it from total collapse. It is important to note that the circumstances that made Council to take such a patriotic, bold and courageous decision then are still there.
Therefore, the Governor of Ekiti State and the immediate past Secretary to the State Government should be left out of the matter. To right size an overbloated workforce is not a crime; neither is it illegal nor illegitimate. The promoters of the malicious reports were actually responsible for the overbloated workforce and the precarious financial situation in the University owing to their deliberate refusal to release five months subvention in 2018.
The university Management also wishes to use this opportunity to appreciate all the staff unions, particularly, their leaders for their cooperation which resulted in a huge success of the just concluded ceremonies marking the 40th anniversary and combined 25th & 26th convocation of the university.
The University Management wishes to enjoin the staff unions to suspend their ongoing strike to pave way for resumption of full academic activities in the university without further delay in the interest of our students.
Bode Olofinmuagun,
Head, Directorate of Information & Corporate Affairs.
