- Safiu Kehinde
A coalition of civil society organisations has demanded the Senate’s rejection of the ambassadorial nomination of former Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, over pending court cases bordering on abuse of office and other allegations.
The CSOs in a petition filed on Monday and addressed to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs charged the committee to decline the confirmation of Fasina as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate, citing pending allegations of sexual harassment, workplace victimisation, abuse of office, and an ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The coalition, in a petition signed by its co-convener, Dr. Ernest Ogezi, argued that confirming Prof. Fasina while multiple legal proceedings remain unresolved would undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s commitment to accountability, integrity, and the rule of law.
According to the coalition, Prof. Fasina is currently involved in two separate cases before the National Industrial Court relating to allegations of sexual harassment and workplace victimisation.
The allegations reportedly involved a female staffer whose case against the ex-FUOYE Vice Chancellor revealed a 37-minute recorded conversation where Fasina was allegedly pressing her for sexual relationship.
“A female staffer under Fasina’s led institution, FUOYE, filed the case of sexual harassment against Fasina for sexual harassment at the National Industrial Court, Abuja.
“Her case is substantiated by a 37-minute recording of Prof Abayomi Fasina pressing her for sex/ sexual relations which also forms part of the court processes and enclosed in this petition.
“Some of the excerpts from their conversation in the 37-minute tape read that Fasina told her thus, ‘You know that you and Adenigba Adele and a few people; we were in Ikole together.
“‘I did not pass my boundary; we have come too far, we have come a long way. But let me tell you, I’m dying for you, I’m dying for you inside, I’m really dying inside.
“‘I don’t do this kind of thing, but if someone is in love with someone, as you can see me, I’m thinking about you, I can’t even sleep,”. The petition partly read.
Another female staffer reportedly filed a case of harassment and victimisation against Fasina for failing to promote her simply because she declined what she thought was his immoral conduct and advances towards her.
She alleged that after she complained to the past Pro-Chancellor of FUOYE about this conduct.
Prof Fasina initially informed the then Pro Chancellor that she had passed all her assessments, but later changed her assessment outcomes, claiming she had self-plagiarised.
Another case arising from his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) resulted in a judgment against the institution over alleged abuse of authority and denial of promotion.
In the case labelled Akingbe v FUOYE (NICN/AK/58/2018), Fasina allegedly chaired a panel that indicted Akingbe of plagiarism without proof, denying him his promotion and dismissing him for a personal grudge.
The National Industrial Court sitting in Akure held in favour of Akingbe, awarding damages of N40 million for the violation of his constitutional rights against the Fasina-led institution, noting that there is no such thing as self-plagiarism and that the claim of plagiarism, assuming it existed, was not substantiated.
Meanwhile, the CSOs also noted that the ICPC is investigating allegations against the former vice-chancellor, insisting that these unresolved matters raise serious concerns about his suitability to represent Nigeria on the international stage.
The coalition dismissed claims that Prof. Fasina had been cleared by the police and an internal FUOYE panel, arguing that neither possesses the constitutional authority to make a final determination on the allegations.
It further questioned the credibility and independence of the university panel, alleging that its members were subordinate to Prof. Fasina during his tenure as vice-chancellor.
The petition also described as misleading a counter-petition reportedly submitted by a group known as “FUOYE Progressive,” alleging that the group lacks legal standing and independence because many of its members allegedly benefited from Prof. Fasina’s administration.
“Notably, the FUOYE Progressive group are some members of the FUOYE community who benefited from promotion racketeering by Prof Abayomi Fasina during his tenure as Vice Chancellor and who are obligated to support him.
“For instance, some of them mentioned were elevated in two academic ranks in violation of the then Revised Scheme of Service for Academic Staff of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, 2022.
“The regulation (section 3) requires that a candidate for promotion must have spent three years in one cadre before being promoted to another, among other requirements.
“Some of them were promoted to two cadres within 4 years+, less than the required 6 years. Their promotion did not go through the three-level assessment procedure for senior academics.
“In addition, these individuals, being neither the registrar, senate, nor the vice chancellor of FUOYE, cannot speak for the institution, nor does their opinion hold sway.” The CSOs revealed in the petition
They further reminded the Senate of the 2009 rejection of Professor Tunde Adeniran’s nomination as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, arguing that Nigeria must avoid another diplomatic embarrassment by ensuring that ambassadorial nominees are persons of unquestionable integrity.
While acknowledging the constitutional presumption of innocence, the coalition maintained that ambassadorial appointments require a higher standard of public confidence and moral credibility, especially where unresolved allegations of misconduct remain before competent courts.
The organisations urged the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to withhold confirmation of Prof. Fasina’s nomination until all pending judicial proceedings and investigations have been conclusively determined.
The petition was signed by Dr. Ernest Ogezi, Co-Convener of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, on behalf of Gender Relevance Initiative Promotion, Hope Behind Bars Africa, BraveHeart Initiative for Youth and Women.
Other signatories to the petition include Gender Mobile Initiative, Speak Out Africa Initiative, Advocate of Rule of Law and Human Dignity, Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development, Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers, and Media for Human Development Foundation.