The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for the immediate intervention of the Federal Ministry of Education in the crisis at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State.
NANS made the demand during a joint protest by the National Association of University Students (NAUS) at the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.
National Public Relations Officer of NANS, Samson Adeyemi, said that the students would continue to occupy the Ministry until the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, resolves the festering crisis at the university.
He disclosed that the university was engulfed in crisis following sexual harassment allegations levelled against the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina and the systemic protection of sexual offenders and silencing of victims.
According to NANS, the crisis was exacerbated following the suspension of a lecturer, Dr. Ngozi Ole and leaders of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) over their stand on the corrupt allegations and sexual harassment in the university.
Adeyemi said, “The Federal Ministry of Education must understand that the protest has already begun. We are no longer pleading. We are demanding justice.
“We will occupy the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the National Assembly every week. These protests will continue until the Honourable Minister of Education takes bold, courageous, and irreversible steps to right these wrongs.”
NANS spokesperson called for the establishment of an independent and non-partisan investigative panel to review all cases of sexual harassment and staff victimisation at FUOYE.
Adeyemi said that the Nigerian student community would not retreat until justice was done.
He called on civil society organisations, human rights groups, the media, and every Nigerian of conscience to support this cause, saying the time has come to rescue FUOYE and to protect Nigerian students.
Credit: Thenation
