They claimed they had engaged in a series of protests, agitations and petitions against the appointment of the suspended Registrar.
A group under the aegis of Nigerian Youth Congress (Ekiti State chapter) has described the recent suspension of the Registrar of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Mr Olatunbosun Odusanya as vindicating youths in the state.
They claimed they had engaged in a series of protests, agitations and petitions against the appointment of the suspended Registrar.
They said the host state was not considered in the employment of principal officers as federal character system was not followed in the university employment system.
The Registrar, Odusanya, was recently suspended by the school's Governing Council for alleged misconduct.
The suspension came after Mr. Odusanya was indicted by an appointment review committee, that was set up by the university's Governing Council in February 2021 to look into the irregular appointment made by him.
Some of the university's staff members spoke on condition of anonymity with SaharaReporters on some of the allegations levelled against the embattled registrar.
"Mr Odusanya's appointment as the Registrar did not follow the due process in the area of the appointment of Senate representative to the Selection Team of the Council for the appointment. The University Act states that the Senate shall appoint or select two of its member to the selection team, but the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kayode Soremekun singlehandedly appointed two of his loyalists to the team as against the Act.
"Mr. Odusanya recruited over 300 staff without advert or council approval during Covid-19 (pandemic).
"He employed inexperienced people from the National Open University (NOUN) into higher level without experience. Even there was a case of a NOUN worker who participated in an interview in November 2016 but came 8th out of 10 and was later employed in 2019 through the back door at the expense of candidates that came 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th in the same interview.
"Mr. Odusanya has a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) coaching centre in Lagos, from where he had admitted many students into the university without having cut-off marks.
Responding to the allegation that his appointment did not follow due process, Odusanya told SaharaReporters he was not in the best position to answer the question.
He said, "An advert was displayed, I responded, I was shortlisted. Examination was taken, interview was conducted and I became first. It is the employer that determines that when an advert is placed, whosoever that is found qualified, whether the person just started today. As long that the person meets the criteria set by the employers, then, there is no case."
He denied having a coaching centre in Lagos, describing the allegation as funny and interesting.
"Please I will like you to do a proper investigation to find out where the said coaching centre is situated," he said.
Mr. Odusanya also spoke on the alleged recruitment of staff without approval. He explained that the appointment was a temporary one which was approved by the school's vice-chancellor.
Mr. Odusanya said the only time when a Registrar can be accused of wrongful recruitment is if it was done without approval.
He, therefore, said the question and others relating some of things he was accused of, should be directed to his boss
"My own is once approval is given, if I see one or two things, I can only provide guidance and raise observations and if the chief executive says go ahead, who am I?" He asked.
"The only thing I will challenge, is that they should follow due process. And if things turn the other way round, I will not go to court but I will report them to God."
The registrar, who was described as a serial violator by some people at Oye-Ekiti, said it was his enemies that mobilised them to boo him on his way out of the school after his suspension was announced.
The suspension announcement was made in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti by the Special Adviser on Media Matters to the Vice-Chancellor, Mr Wole Balogun. The news was conveyed to Mr. Odusanya in a letter titled “Suspension From the University” and dated April 20, 2021, signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina.
The Deputy Registrar, Mr Mufutau Ibrahim, was confirmed by the Council as Acting Registrar of the university with immediate effect.
Federal University Oye-Ekiti is a government-owned Nigerian University founded in 2011. The university has two campuses in Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti.