Multiple senior sources told SaharaReporters that the Acting Vice-Chancellor has been deliberately frustrated by Pro-Chancellor Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the suspended Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina, with the active involvement of some university officials.
A deepening crisis is unfolding at Federal University Oye-Ekiti, where allegations of sabotage, political maneuvering, and institutional paralysis have trailed the administration of Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olubunmi Shittu.
Multiple senior sources told SaharaReporters that the Acting Vice-Chancellor has been deliberately frustrated by Pro-Chancellor Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the suspended Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina, with the active involvement of some university officials.
For weeks, Prof. Shittu reportedly requested official briefs from key officers to guide his leadership.
However, the documents either arrived after crucial decisions had already been taken or were deliberately withheld. In one striking case, an officer allegedly ignored multiple official invitations, stalling administrative processes and slowing down the overall pace of governance.
With new appointments frozen and internal rivalries deepening, academic administration at the institution has ground to a halt.
“The system is practically shut down,” one top source told SaharaReporters, adding that Prof. Shittu’s leadership journey has been “like walking blindfolded.”
According to insiders, Prof. Shittu assumed office without receiving a formal handover or any structured briefing from Prof. Fasina, who was suspended amid earlier controversies over sex harassment accusations by Engr. Olusola Folasade Adebayo.
“He started like a blind man, abandoned to his fate,” one official revealed. “He neither lobbied for the position nor applied for it, but since assuming office, he has faced hell from both Ndoma-Egba and Fasina.”
Tradition at the university dictates that academic leadership positions rotate on August 1 each year.
In line with this, the Registrar issued guidelines for the elections of Deans and other offices, while the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) supervised the process.
Sources disclosed that although Prof. Shittu oversaw parts of the exercise, the suspended Vice-Chancellor Fasina allegedly attempted to impose his influence by sending in a list of preferred candidates for Deans, Directors, and Heads of Departments.
SaharaReporters learnt that many of the names forwarded by the suspended VC were identical to those who later emerged victorious in the elections or were nominated by sitting Deans.
Sources explained that this has raised questions about the legitimacy of the process and the extent of Prof. Fasina’s influence despite his suspension.
A source told SaharaReporters that upon collating the results, Prof. Shittu convened a meeting with the two Deputy Vice-Chancellors to review the lists.
While he conceded to their objections in several areas, the acting Vice-Chancellor reportedly insisted on rejecting proposals where glaring irregularities were identified.
Meanwhile, one major point of contention was the continued occupation of key director positions by individuals who were not qualified under university regulations.
According to the rules, a non-professor may serve as director for only one year, renewable for a further year.
“Yes, we have individuals who became directors as non-professors and have spent over four and a half years in the position, when even professors should have a maximum of four years,” the source said.
“The management had already agreed that such individuals must be replaced,” a senior staff member explained.
‘Ndoma-Egba and Fasina Using Internal Opposition’
On July 31, 2025, the very last day for announcing the new appointments, the Registrar reportedly published the contested lists across multiple platforms, deepening tensions within the university.
Insiders described the move as a direct challenge to Prof. Shittu’s authority, effectively undermining his attempts to restore order and transparency.
On the same day the list was published, the Bursar, Mrs. Adebola Debo-Ajagunna, reportedly wrote on the Management Platform, stating that she objected to the appointments because she was not consulted on the financial implications of the positions.
However, the Acting Vice-Chancellor stated that the statutory date for the change of academic leadership in all Nigerian universities is August 1 of every year, and that the financial implications of such changes are immaterial since the system already recognises that someone must necessarily occupy each of the positions throughout the year.
The source added that the Acting Vice-Chancellor explained: “These are not new appointments. They are not meant to be placed on payroll. No financial implication is required before a Dean is changed or a Head of Department is replaced.”
Sources within the institution suggest that prominent figures such as former Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Fasina are quietly using the opposition of internal actors like the Bursar to strengthen their case against the recent appointments.
Council Chairman, Ndoma-Egba Orders Suspension of Staff Postings
A source familiar with the situation told SaharaReporters that on July 28, 2025, Ndoma-Egba discussed two concerns with Professor Shittu.
During the meeting, the Acting Vice-Chancellor explained why the changes were necessary. After their discussion, he left Ndoma-Egba’s office.
Later, in the afternoon of Thursday, July 31, 2025, after the Registrar had published the list of appointments, the Chairman of Council sent a letter personally signed by him to the Acting Vice-Chancellor, titled “Posting of Staff to Units, Departments and Directorates.”
According to the source, the letter was copied to all principal officers. In it, the Chairman requested to be advised on the financial implications of the new postings and the extent of management’s input in the development, specifically, what role other principal officers played in the appointments.
SaharaReporters learnt that Ndoma-Egba further noted that some of the appointments had implications for the Council. He, therefore, directed that the new postings be suspended immediately.
Vice-Chancellor Insists on Due Process in Appointments Despite Ndoma-Egba’s Directive
The source told SaharaReporters that on Friday, August 1, 2025, the Acting Vice-Chancellor visited Ndoma-Egba to submit a letter in response to his directive.
Ndoma-Egba verbally insisted that the Acting Vice-Chancellor should retain the Procurement Officer, Mr. Ateniola, in his former office. However, the Acting Vice-Chancellor explained the reasons for the changes that had taken place in some locations.
According to a source, the Acting Vice-Chancellor emphasised the extent to which Management was carried along in the process and the need to follow due process within the system.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, the source added that before leaving, the Acting Vice-Chancellor submitted a written response to Ndoma-Egba’s directive.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor reiterated the importance of adhering to due process in academic appointments at the University, as outlined in the Regulations Guiding the Conditions of Service approved by the Governing Council in 2022.
On pages 44–45, the regulations clearly state the procedure for the appointment of Academic Directors and Heads of Units as follows: “The Vice-Chancellor shall appoint the Head of a Department, after consultation with the Dean of the Faculty, who shall in turn have consulted with the Department.”
The regulations further provide detailed guidelines on eligibility, tenure, and terms of appointment: “Where a Professor is appointed, the appointment shall be for two (2) years and may be renewed for another term of two years. In cases where it is not possible to appoint a full Professor, an Acting Head of Department shall be appointed from among the Readers and Senior Lecturers on a yearly basis, up to a maximum of two years per person.”
Similarly, page 38 of the regulations states: “The Faculty Board of each Faculty shall, at a meeting in the month of July of the academic year in which the Dean’s term of office expires, elect one of its members—being one of the Professors in that Faculty—for appointment by the Vice-Chancellor as Dean of the Faculty.”
Ndoma-Egba Lifts Suspension on University Appointments
Sources also explained that the Bursar has no role in the Acting Vice-Chancellor’s approval of academic and administrative leadership appointments in the University.
The source further noted that the Acting Vice-Chancellor is of the opinion that issues of imprests, allowances, and related matters are policy-based and not tied to individual office holders. Since these entitlements are position-based, they do not require fresh financial implications or additional Council approval whenever officers are changed.
The source said the Acting Vice-Chancellor informed Ndoma-Egba that suspending the new appointments would mean shutting down the academic administration indefinitely.
In a letter dated August 4, 2025, Ndoma-Egba stated that since the Acting Vice-Chancellor confirmed he had received inputs from critical stakeholders, and that no financial implication was required before a Dean could be changed or a Head of Department replaced, he would take the Acting Vice-Chancellor at his word.
The source revealed that Ndoma-Egba therefore lifted the temporary embargo on the release of appointment letters, except for the one relating to the Procurement Officer.
He explained that the individual appointed by the Acting Vice-Chancellor was not certified by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). Sources described this as a situation that could cause serious problems or even attract sanctions.
Meanwhile, Ndoma-Egba urged the Acting Vice-Chancellor to retain the current Procurement Officer given the unfinished processing of crucial documents tied to the 2025 TETFund intervention for the University’s infrastructural development.
According to sources, he, therefore, directed that the Acting Vice-Chancellor’s earlier posting in the Procurement Department be withdrawn with immediate effect.
The unfolding battle has exposed bitter divisions at the top of the institution, raising concerns about governance, accountability, and the credibility of the university’s academic leadership.
Sources explained that with the administrative machinery now paralysed and rival power blocs entrenched, many fear that unless urgent intervention is made, the university could be plunged into a deeper crisis, jeopardising both staff morale and academic stability.
Background
Previously, SaharaReporters reported that fresh controversies had rocked FUOYE, with allegations that Pro-Chancellor Ndoma-Egba and suspended Vice-Chancellor Professor Fasina manipulated recruitment and altered regulations to favour loyalists.
According to sources, they prepared preferred lists for key positions—including Directors, Deans, Professors, and the Procurement Officer—contravening the FUOYE Establishment Act (2015) and senior staff regulations (2022).
Controversy arose over Director of Physical Planning and Director of Works appointments with “zero-year” requirements, violating the five-year Deputy Director experience rule
