[Insider] Power Play at OAU: New PRO-CHANCELLOR Bullying Tactics

Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, is one of the oldest universities in Nigeria. Throughout its history, renowned Nigerians with strong morals and exceptional skills in their fields have served as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University’s Governing Council. These individuals have significantly contributed to the University’s advancement by providing financial aid, material resources, and networking opportunities.

Despite not all being university professors, they were dedicated educators passionate about teaching and learning. Their unwavering commitment to the university left an enduring impact, shaping its legacy. They were individuals of integrity and honesty, leaving a lasting impression on the institution.

However, in July ,2024, the story of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, takes a negative turn and assumes a different but dangerous dimension when the Federal Government announced the present Governing Council and made a Professor of History, Siyan Oyeweso, an indigene of the ancient town of Ede, in Osun State, as it’s Pro – Chancellor and Chairman. He talks, walks and acts as the Sole Administrator of the University, usurping the administrative duties of the Vice Chancellor who is the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the University. From all indications, Professor Siyan Oyeweso sees himself as the personification of Council and he behaves accordingly.

Inside sources told our investigators that Professor Oyeweso showed himself a bully with dictatorial ego during the inaugural meeting of the council when he openly lambasted the University Registrar, Adetunji Bakare, a very hardworking and easy going gentleman, for ” incompetence”.

Ironically, this same Adetunji Bakare was on sabbatical at Osun State University, Osogbo, ( where Oyeweso comes from) and proved his mettle as a seasoned university administrator. Reports have it that the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the University, Sola Akinrinade, an unassuming gentleman and a world – renowned Professor of History who smoothly combined academic excellence with resounding human relations, wanted to retain Mr. Bakare.

That same day, the “Almighty” Pro – Chancellor tongue – lashed his brother from the same hometown, Ede, one Mr. Murtala Agbaje, who is the Director, Council Affairs of the University.

Another source informed us of his head – on – collision with the University Bursar, one Mrs. Toyin Abogan. Our source said that while the Bursar was trying to stick to the financial regulations as it affects the Federal Universities, Prof. Oyeweso just wants the woman to be reimbursing him.

According to our source: ” let me tell you in confidence, OAU has no chairman of council. This man, Oyeweso or what do they call him, is a ‘kalokalo’. Do you know kalokalo? He presents all manners of receipts, he undertakes all sorts of trips, he incures frivolous expenses, all these are without the knowledge of the University administration. Do you know how many millions of naira this man has claimed as reimbursement? Within how many months? Do you also know that the Staff Unions have the photocopies of all the receipts and the payments made to him?”.

He continued: ” The Council of the University is supposed to meet four times in a year but this ‘kalokalo’ has chaired more than six meetings within the pace of four months. Walahi, our VC is too cool for my liking. Even we learn that the Registrar goes to his house in Ede almost on a daily basis. What type of nonsense is that? Anyway, the staff are piling up his offences and any moment from now, Tinubu “go hear say wahala don brake out in OAU. “

” See the way he behaved during the visit of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. He was shouting at the University PRO, the man we all admire for being so professional and hardworking. Behaving and shouting like a drunken tout. Even the most notorious members of the NURTW would not behave like that. He is a complete disaster to the University. But how can Tinubu appoint such a useless person to be the chairman of council for a first generation University like Great Ife? My brother, If I continue to talk about that man, we no go leave here today”.

We spoke with some peofessors who are members of the University senate and their comments about Prof. Siyan Oyeweso were not palatable at all. One of them said that they are waiting for him to come to senate. In his words: ” I am particularly not happy that the VC persuaded him not to come to senate. Let him come and address us and see what will happen to him. Honestly, he behaves more like a politician than an academic. We are aware of his unacademic behaviour but we are waiting for a time, a ripe time, to strike. In fact, our actions may even affect the VC and his principal officers because VC is too soft and unnecessarily docile. The VC is not assertive enough and that is unfortunate and unacceptable.”

Another Professor intoned: ” Let’s expose this man and scatter everything. I’m a native of Ede like him but see how he disgraced himself that day. In fact, he disgraced the Timi of Ede and all Indigenes of Ede. Fighting for non inclusion of his picture in a programme that the University did not organise and you were shouting at Biodun, our PRO. Do you know that the character he exhibited that day, during the visit of Remi Tinubu is his nature? We can not continue to condone his excesses and recklessness. This is OAU and he is from a state university. Can you imagine!!!”.

From all the foregoing, it is a known fact that OAU has a misfit as a Pro Chancellor.

When we visited Osun State University, Osogbo, we were given some damning, incriminating documents, including a white paper which indicted him of misconduct. We shall not hesitate to publish the document in our next edition. We were told that he had contested, more than five times, for the post of Vice Chancellor of different universities without being appointed. Which University would appoint such a character as the leader it’s Vice Chancellor?

At this juncture, it is important for the OAU alumni to come to the rescue of their Alma Mater and seek the immediate removal of this prodigal son.

We again visited OAU website and discovered that the University Administration has instructed that the historic visit of the Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, be pulled down.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, who initially declined comments, later said that it was a family matter and it has been resolved in a family way. When probed further, Olarewaju said he would get back to us but has not done so.

Removing the historic moment from the University’s website would be a disservice to the institution, driven by the personal ego of an individual. The fact that the removed content is now widely available online, even on the websites of journalists, highlights the irony of the situation. Under the current leadership, the University presents a disappointing record, characterized by negative outcomes or a combination of setbacks and disappointments.