Speaking with SaharaReporters in reaction to earlier reports detailing alleged administrative abuses within LASUED, the Vice-Chancellor insisted that all major decisions in the university are taken through established committees and not by her personal discretion.
The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Professor Bidemi Balikis Lafiaji-Okuneye, has dismissed allegations of promotion racketeering, victimisation of workers, and non-payment of promotion arrears at the institution, describing the claims as “mischievous” and driven by personal attacks against her rather than genuine concerns about the university system.
Speaking with SaharaReporters in reaction to earlier reports detailing alleged administrative abuses within LASUED, the Vice-Chancellor insisted that all major decisions in the university are taken through established committees and not by her personal discretion.
“All those allegations are mischievous,” Lafiaji-Okuneye said.
“You see, the university system is run by committees. The Vice-Chancellor does not have the powers to do all things alone. If you do that, you are endangering yourself. The university is run on committees.”
Addressing allegations that some staff members were fast-tracked across several grade levels within a short period, the Vice-Chancellor drew a distinction between promotion and appointment.
“There is a difference between promotion and an appointment,” she explained. “You could be a gateman and if an internal advert is placed, you have a right to apply.
“For example, we have a gateman who has a Bachelor’s degree, but because at the time he took up the job of gateman there was no vacancy declared in our university, he had to take what was available. As soon as opportunity arises and vacancies are declared, you can apply. That is appointment, not promotion.”
She added that while promotion requires a minimum of three years on a grade level, appointments into new cadres do not.
“The difference between promotion and appointment is that for appointment you can put in your application and you are appointed; it is not promotion. All those things are figment of some individuals’ imagination,” she said.
According to her, recruitment exercises in the university were transparent.
“What we have done is we followed due process. Lecturers and non-teaching staff applied, they did CBT and they were interviewed. All of these were put in place before they were appointed,” she stated.
On Non-Payment of Promotion Arrears
Responding to allegations that staff promoted in 2023 had not been paid arrears running into several months, Lafiaji-Okuneye said she lacked the authority to withhold salaries or entitlements.
“I don’t have the powers to withhold anything, honestly. I do not have such power,” she said.
She linked salary-related issues to a statewide harmonisation exercise initiated by the Lagos State Government.
“When I was appointed Provost of the College before it became a university, some lecturers were earning more than professors in the university,” she explained.
“In 2024, Lagos State Government got wind of College of Education lecturers earning more than professors in universities, some were earning over N200,000 above professors. So government said salaries should be harmonised.”
According to her, the government used Adeniyi Ogunsanya College of Education as a benchmark to raise professors’ salaries in universities.
“I was also affected at that time. My position is by appointment. When I came in as Provost, some lecturers were earning more than me as a full professor,” she added.
She insisted that allegations that the university withheld funds were false.
“The issue of release of funds is not true. We have all the documents relating to that. We are not going to speak on frivolities; we are going to back them up with evidence,” she said.
Second Suspension of Mr Fowowe
On the controversial case of Mr. Fowowe Simeon Sunday, former Head of Department, Early Childhood Care and Education, who was suspended twice in connection with a 2021 rape incident, the Vice-Chancellor confirmed that the second suspension occurred but insisted it was based on new developments.
“The society always frowns on anything that has to do with rape. It is a very serious offence,” she said.
She narrated that officials of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) visited the campus in 2021 to make arrests.
“The HOD quickly ran to my office that they wanted to arrest him, and I said no way. I stood up and said how can you come on campus and arrest anybody. I resisted and went to the crime scene,” she said.
According to her, investigations revealed that the rapist was a protégé of Fowowe.
“We found out that the protégé employed by the HOD was the one who raped the student in his office. Immediately, we had to cordon off the office as a crime scene, and Mr Fowowe was placed on suspension to investigate.”
She disputed earlier claims that the rapist was a part-time lecturer.
“That man has never been our staff member, either on part-time or full-time basis,” she said.
“The reason why the man would have access to Mr Fowowe’s office is still unknown. Surrogacy in the university system is a criminal offence. You don’t give your courses to somebody. That guy who raped the student teaches Mr Fowowe’s courses, marks his scripts and examines. The lady he raped was a full-time student. How will a lecturer who is not our staff member be teaching full-time students?”
She said an investigative panel earlier gave Fowowe a strong warning following political intervention.
However, she explained that the matter was reopened after the rapist was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025.
“In that same judgement, Fowowe’s name was mentioned four times. FIDA visited me again that they wanted to arrest Fowowe for being an accomplice,” she said.
“I said no, we have internal mechanisms for these things. That is the reason he was suspended again.”
Denial of Accreditation Levy on Lecturers
The Vice-Chancellor also denied allegations that lecturers were forced to contribute money for accreditation exercises.
“Lagos State Government provided sufficiently for accreditation. Heads of Departments were adequately provided money,” she said.
“We told them: do not buy printers, do not buy photocopiers; the university is providing. Whatever you can make to beautify your department like cotton or wall clock, that was the instruction. Lecturers contributing for accreditation is unethical. That is not true. It is just to pull down this woman.”
Background
SaharaReporters earlier reported that LASUED management was facing allegations of promotion scandals, victimisation of union activists, non-payment of promotion arrears, and the alleged use of double jeopardy against Mr Fowowe.
Sources within the university alleged that Fowowe’s renewed suspension was linked to his active role in the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), especially ahead of internal union elections.
They also accused the Vice-Chancellor of using administrative processes to silence critics and favour loyalists.
Professor Lafiaji-Okuneye, however, insists that her administration operates strictly within laid-down procedures and that all actions taken are in the best interest of the institution.