On Tuesday, the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) expressed their objection to the alleged authoritarian actions of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Agboola.

The union asserted that the Vice-Chancellor unilaterally altered the university’s regulations governing congregation elections for the Senate and other standing committees.

Led by their Chairman, Dr. Abiodun Lamina, the senior staff members assembled at the Senate building, where the congregation elections were scheduled to take place, and demanded the revocation of the Vice-Chancellor’s unilateral decisions.

The union asserted that the actions were unlawful and detrimental to the university community and should not be employed to conduct the elections.

Lamina stated that the Vice-Chancellor attempted to alter the university’s regulations without appropriate consultation or approval.

“This is not the first time; this is not the second time. We have written several letters to him, urging him to follow due process, but he insists that nobody can stop him,” Lamina stated.

The union leader voiced concerns that the vice-chancellor’s actions were causing internal division, particularly between teaching and non-teaching staff.

As per the union, the VC allegedly mandated that only employees with a degree at the time of their employment could be members of the congregation, excluding those who obtained their degrees after joining the university.

According to Lamina, this move aimed to reduce the influence and presence of non-teaching staff in various statutory committees of the university.

“The reason for this protest is because our Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ayodeji Agboola, has refused to listen to our pleas over the illegal clauses he just introduced into the laws of the university regarding the congregation elections into the Senate, university council, among other committees of the university.

“The position of the law is that a degree holder who is a member of SSANU is a member of the congregation and can participate in these elections but the VC, in the new law, said only those who were employed as a degree holder could now be members of the congregation.

“But we have said that this draconian rule will not stay, that it smacks of injustice because many members of SSANU who were employed as National Diploma holders, Higher National Diploma holders have gone ahead to have their degrees, some with Masters degrees.

“We don’t know why the VC is hell-bent on creating unnecessary crises where there should be none. We have written several letters on this but he has done nothing,” he stated further.

He stated that the protest was a means for the union to inform the public, especially the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to intervene in the matter.

In response, the vice-chancellor asserted that the issue had been resolved and that he had not altered or disregarded any university regulations.

Replying to the enquiries sent to his WhatsApp by our correspondent, Prof Agboola said, “We have resolved the matter. Be rest assured, l have not changed or flouted any provision of the edict of the university.

“All staff that were re-graded, upgraded and converted from one cadre to the other were included in the list.”