Photo: FUOYE VC, Fasina, a Christian (left), … at a Muslim event
By John Odunayo
THE Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof. Tajudeen Bolanle Opoola, has said the Vice- Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, does not run an administration that muzzles the Muslim community on the campus.
Prof Opoola, a Muslim, spoke in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Friday in reaction to the allegations by the Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC) leader, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, that the VC was muzzling the Moslem community in campus.
The DVC, who described Prof. Fasina as a highly religiously tolerant leader and brother, said, “Those who fed the MURIC leader, Prof. Akintola lies about the personality and leadership style of the VC didn’t mean well and only did so for selfish and mischievous purposes”.
Opoola said, “While appreciating and commending MURIC’s concern for the welfare of Muslims in FUOYE, it’s eminently important to inform the public of Prof. Fasina’s positive stand on the promotion of Islam in FUOYE.
“There has been cordial relationship between Muslim and Christian communities in both Oye and lkole campuses of our university through a non-discriminatory attitude of the VC, Prof. Fasina, who has done so much in support of Islam on campus compared to his predecessors.
“Prof. Fasina has enormously supported the cause of Islam on campus in his zeal at ensuring an holistic welfare and well being of all Muslims on the campus. He supported us greatly in realizing the dream of a mosque for the Muslims.
“He saw us through the building of our mosque from the scratch to its completion and often times funded the project with his personal money till we completed the mosque. He has also provided us a new site for a bigger mosque in Oye campus. The VC also attends the Convocation Jumaat service physically as a way of fully identifying with us.
“Of many instances of Prof. Fasina’s support for the Muslim community is also in the issue of dressing code that accommodates female students such as wearing of Niqob as embedded in the students’ hand book during his tenure.
“In the administration of Prof. Fasina, many Muslims have been appointed in different sensitive positions and these include myself, DVC, admin, Prof. Opoola; the Registrar, Alhaji Mufutau lbrahim; the Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof. Oyedokun Wasiu-Alli; the Director of FUOYE medical Centre, Dr. Olawale Musbau; the Director of the Directorate of Affiliations, Prof. Olaide Hammed; and Dr Basiru O. Ajiboye as Head of FUOYE Translational Research Centre.
“Others include Dr Modinat, Female Gender Desk Officer of the University; Dr (Mrs) Ashiyanbi Serifat, Head of Department, History and International Studies; Dr Waheed Olaide Oladimeji, Head Linguistics Dept; Prof. Taofiq Olaide Nasir, Head of Department, Religious Studies; and Mr Salahudeen Teslim, a young and fresh graduate of the University was not only appointed recently as Graduate Assistant of his Department but also as Special Adviser (SA) on students Affairs to the VC.
“The recently conducted Congregation was scheduled to hold from 10am to 12pm on a Friday and that shows it was not meant to undermine the period of Jumaat service. However, Muslim members went for Jumaat service and returned without hindrance.
“Ordinarily inaugural lectures in FUOYE hold between 2pm and 5pm on all week days. The last Friday inaugural lecture in question was delayed by management to commerce by 3pm which means it began after the Jumaat service.
“On the strength of the above clarifications, there no is animosity between the Muslim community and the VC and other parties in FUOYE where we all relate with one and other in peace and harmony and like brothers and sisters on the campus irrespective of our faith divides,” he said.
