… Call For Visitation Panel To Probe Alleged Mismanagement, Rights Abuse
Daud Olatunji
The crisis rocking Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, deepened on Thursday, as the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) accused the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Johnson Agboola, of high-handedness, deceit, and abuse of power.
In a strongly worded statement jointly signed by Comrade Abiodun Lamina, Chairman of SSANU-OOU, and Comrade Adebowale Odufuwa, Chairman of NASU-OOU, the unions dismissed the Vice-Chancellor’s recent press briefing on the state of affairs in the university as “a bundle of lies and blackmail aimed at misleading the public.”
The Vice Chancellor had on Wednesday, announced the abolition of its two-day weekly off-duty work policy for non-academic staff during a press briefing on campus, saying the resolution was part of decisions reached at the university’s 219th Governing Council meeting.
Agboola explained that the policy — introduced after the removal of fuel subsidy to ease transportation burden — had become counter-productive as it slowed service delivery, delayed administrative processes, and affected institutional efficiency.
But, the unions in their reaction said Agboola’s remarks about their ongoing protest were consistent with his “divide-and-rule style of administration” and his alleged penchant for “turning logic on its head.”
“Without being immodest, his submissions can not be different because he has been known as a serial blackmailer who is always economical with the truth,” the statement read.
“He is a leader without conscience when it comes to lying against his staff, and one who always turns logic on its head.”
The union leaders accused the Vice-Chancellor of surrounding himself with “yes men” and silencing dissenting voices within the university community.
“Anyone who knows the Vice-Chancellor will testify that he starts and ends every meeting by dominating discussions, shouting down contributors with different opinions, and imposing his own views,” they alleged.
They refuted Agboola’s claim that the unions had shunned management meetings, explaining that the only invitation extended to them was delivered barely 30 minutes before the scheduled time — an act they described as deliberate.
“A responsible union will not attend a meeting called at such short notice without preparation. We will not allow ourselves to be railroaded into accepting management’s agenda,” the statement noted.
The unions also accused the Vice-Chancellor of creating a climate of fear within the institution, alleging that he spies on staff WhatsApp groups and records conversations through “agents planted everywhere.”
“Since he came on board, freedom of speech has become a scarce commodity. Staff now live under surveillance and intimidation,” they claimed.
They further alleged that the Vice-Chancellor manipulated the recent Congregation election to impose a candidate loyal to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a representative of non-teaching staff.
“Rather than address the rigging allegations, he confirmed his moves to impose a candidate favoured by ASUU-OOU. Such a leader is clearly partisan and a threat to the rights of non-teaching staff,” they said.
On the recent scrapping of the two-day work-free policy earlier approved by the Ogun State Government for university staff, the unions accused Agboola of acting out of “vendetta and pettiness,” not genuine concern for productivity.
“If productivity were the issue, he would have cited specific instances where work suffered since the policy was introduced. On the contrary, the university completed its academic calendar, held its convocation, and maintained efficiency,” they argued.
They also accused the Governing Council of complicity, saying it had become a “rubber stamp” to the Vice-Chancellor’s decisions.
“The Council has helped the Vice-Chancellor to trample on the rights of non-teaching staff. His boast that he can get anything passed because the Council is already ‘purchased’ speaks volumes,” the statement added.
The unions said they would not be intimidated by what they described as the Vice-Chancellor’s “phantom offences” or threats of disciplinary action, vowing to continue their protests peacefully.
They called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to immediately set up a Visitation Panel to investigate the affairs of the university, especially under Agboola’s leadership.
“Only an independent panel can unravel why OOU has dropped off university rankings despite the Vice-Chancellor’s exaggerated claims of excellence,” the unions said.
They concluded by assuring members that a detailed press briefing would soon be held to “expose the shenanigans and autocratic tendencies” of the Vice-Chancellor.
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