Report: NANS Leadership Confronts FUOYE VC on SUG President's Suspension

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) President, Akinteye Babatunde, has engaged Professor Abayomi Fasina, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), regarding the recent suspension of the institution's Students' Union Government (SUG) President, James Adio.

Babatunde confirmed this development in a statement shared on X on Friday, revealing that he held extensive discussions with the Vice-Chancellor following NANS's earlier public condemnation of the suspension. The national leadership of NANS expressed strong disapproval of the action, describing it as an "unjust suspension" and "persecution" of the student leader.

In his statement, Babatunde quoted, "Sequel to my earlier post today condemning the unjust suspension of FUOYE SUG President, I had an extensive discussion with the FUOYE Vice-Chancellor. I expressed our fierce resentment towards the suspension of FUOYE SUG President, Comrade Adio James. Going forward, I made known the position of the national leadership of NANS over the unjust persecution of the President. Subsequently, I expressed a fierce opposition to this development, and expressed utmost dissatisfaction forthwith."

During their meeting, the Vice-Chancellor provided a detailed account of the circumstances that led to the SUG President's suspension. Following this explanation, Babatunde appealed to him to facilitate an amicable resolution to the matter. Babatunde also reported that the Vice-Chancellor "promised to look into it, and assured me that there will be a progressive resolution at the next senate sitting on Wednesday."

Furthermore, the NANS President disclosed that Professor Fasina has initiated an impartial and thorough investigation into the alleged public release of the suspended SUG president’s private information. "On a final note, the Vice-Chancellor intimated me that he has ordered an impartial and thorough investigation into the activities that led to the release of the President’s private life to the public. He assured me that everyone involved will be brought to book," Babatunde stated.

Babatunde conveyed his appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor for his responsive and "fatherly" approach, reiterating NANS's unwavering commitment to protecting Nigerian students from any form of intimidation. "To this end, I appreciated the Vice-Chancellor for his fatherly response and also reiterated our stance that, under this administration, we won’t allow any form of intimidation towards Nigerian students," he concluded.

Previously, PUNCH Online had reported that the Federal University Oye-Ekiti suspended its SUG president along with two other senior officials. This action was prompted by allegations of unauthorized collection of N1,000 from 100-level students for practical sessions. The university management accused the SUG president of indirect involvement in the handling of these funds, specifically alleging his participation in the initial distribution and later receiving a N700,000 refund into his personal bank account. The institution clarified that these suspensions are part of ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and accountability while investigations are still underway.