The suspended Deputy Dean of Student Affairs at the Federal University Oye Ekiti, Dr. Banji Olaleye, has alleged that his suspension over an extortion investigation was premeditated, claiming the university’s current administration had been seeking his removal since February.
Olaleye made the allegation in an interview on Sunday, insisting that the disciplinary action was politically motivated and designed to damage his reputation. The university, however, dismissed the claims as false.
The university recently suspended Olaleye, the Director of the Directorate of Educational Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Olanrewaju Ogunjobi, and Students’ Union Government President James Adio over allegations that they authorized the collection of N1,000 from each 100-level student without approval.
According to Olaleye, the administration had made it clear after assuming office in February that it did not want to work with him because it believed he did not support the emergence of the current vice chancellor.
“I am not a kingmaker. I don’t put somebody there as the VC,” he said.
Olaleye said he had expected to leave office at the end of July when the tenure of political appointees was due to expire.
He maintained that he had no official role in the entrepreneurship programme and only became involved after the Dean of Student Affairs asked him to mediate a dispute between the Directorate of Entrepreneurship and student leaders over the collection of the N1,000 fee.
According to him, the directorate explained that the money was being collected directly from students because funds for practical sessions had not been released by the university on time.
Olaleye said he was only instructed to ensure class representatives remitted money already collected to the directorate. He added that about N2.5 million was recovered, after which the director directed that N1 million be paid to student representatives as appreciation, while the remaining N1.5 million was transferred to an account designated by the directorate.
He denied collecting or diverting any student funds and said an investigative panel later confirmed that students received the N1 million in question.
Despite that, he said he was suspended on June 10 before the investigation had been concluded and received a formal query five days after the suspension.
Olaleye also questioned why other officials who handled the funds were not investigated and argued that the reinstatement of the suspended Students’ Union president undermined the basis for the sanctions against university staff.
A senior university official, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly, alleged that the investigative panel misled the university’s management.
The official said Olaleye’s office was only asked to mediate the dispute and had advised the Directorate of Entrepreneurship to explore alternative funding for the practical sessions.
The official further alleged that some panel members had previous disagreements with students, raising concerns about the impartiality of the investigation.
Responding to the allegations, the university’s Director of Public Relations, Dr. Sunday Saanu, denied that the suspension was politically motivated.
Saanu said the university’s actions were based on its anti-extortion policy, which has been enforced since the current vice chancellor assumed office.
He said the policy, endorsed by the university Senate and strengthened by the Governing Council, provides for the dismissal of any lecturer found guilty of extorting students, while heads of departments and deans can also be sanctioned for failing in their supervisory responsibilities.
According to Saanu, the investigative committee established a prima facie case against Olaleye before management approved his suspension.
“The evidence against him was overwhelming. The university set up a committee, and the committee established that he was culpable. It found that he directed that money be collected from students,” Saanu said.
He dismissed claims that the suspension was connected to Olaleye’s alleged opposition to the vice chancellor’s emergence, describing the allegation as blackmail.
Saanu added that while the university previously pardoned a former Students’ Union president over a similar issue because the practice predated his tenure, Olaleye’s case was different and based solely on the findings of the investigation.
