Muslim community exonerates VC |

Officials of the Muslim Community of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State have exonerated the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Sunday Abayomi Fasina, who was recently accused by the Muslim Rights Concern of disallowing Muslim staff from attending Jumu’ah prayer.

The group thus told the National Universities Commission to discontinue any action it may have planned against the Vice Chancellor.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Executive Director of the Islamic human rights organisation, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The full statement reads: “Officials of the Muslim Community of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), have exonerated the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Sunday Abayomi Fasina, who was recently accused by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) of disallowing Muslim staff from attending Jumu’ah prayer.

“In a conference call initiated from their campus, they attested to the VC’s friendliness towards all without discrimination. According to them, the VC had not been standing in the way of projects initiated by the Muslims and he was always ready to help them.

“They also testified that although it is true that the two reported cases of delay in releasing staff of the university for Jumu’ah prayer actually occurred, they were not deliberate but circumstantial.

“The conference call involved the chairman of the Muslim Community, its secretary, the University Imam and other members of the executive. The officials spoke glowingly of the Vice Chancellor.

“Although our complaint against the VC was based on reports of what actually happened in the university (as a policy, MURIC does not reveal the identity of its informers) and the Muslim officials who spoke with us recently have not denied it, we support their intervention because we have full confidence in them. They are Muslims of good pedigree, rock-solid credibility and unquestionable integrity.

“Neither does our upholding of their testimony mean that those who reported the matter to MURIC headquarters lied. No, they did not. But the officials of the Muslim Community are in a better position to know the nitty-gritties, particularly the VC’s real disposition towards his Muslim staff and students. Afterall they are the ones who meet him regularly on behalf of the Muslim Community.

“With this clean slate given to the VC of FUOYE, we appeal to the National Universities Commission (NUC) to discontinue any action it may have planned or embarked upon based on our first report. We take responsibility for the report and we appeal to the NUC for understanding.

“MURIC will not witch-hunt anyone on account of their creed or tribe. We urge other Vice Chancellors who are not Muslims to emulate the VC of FUOYE in liberality and inclusiveness. Transparency, fairness and justice to all will create a conducive atmosphere for centres of excellence that universities are known for.

“As a responsible member of civil society, we assure NUC and all vice Chancellors that MURIC will not condone acts of indiscipline on the part of any Muslim individual or group within the campuses.

“University authorities only need to know that Nigerian Muslims have come of age and no act of discrimination or injustice, no matter how infinitesimal, can go unnoticed and unreported particularly now that MURIC has branches in all the 36 states of Nigeria except Anambra.”