… Petition not against Dean, targeted against some lecturer’s promotion
Juliana Francis
A lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, has reacted harshly to the publication of The Eagle online, where one of the university professors, Abimbola Adesoji, Head, of the Department of History, in a petition, pointed out that the Dean of Arts, Professor Oyeniyi Okunoye, failed to follow the right promotion conditions.
In his petition, Adesoji has argued that the Dean must follow due process in promoting Dr. A.A. Olayiwola, whom Adesoji opined did not meet the requirement to be promoted to the rank of professor.
The lecturer, who reacted vehemently to the publication, wishes to remain anonymous.
He said that the petition of Adesoji misrepresented the facts of the case in question.
According to him, what was playing out was politics, intrigues and a power play in the university, which has now been dragged out of the University premises through the media publication.
He also explained that certain powers were against the promotions of some lecturers in the school and that the petition was not against the Dean as presented, but actually against Dr A.A. Olayiwola and another of his colleagues named as one Dr Awuawuer.
The lecturer fumes: “This case is a case of hate and victimization that started against a lecturer called Dr Awuawuer. This petition is a continuation of this fight because Awuawuer is a close friend of Dr A.A. Olayiwola.
“This Dr A.A. Olayiwola in question is a scholar of repute. Type his name and read his works. I think the devils in OAU Ife should stop using media to settle personal scores. This case is under investigation and the report is likely going to come up soon, hence, there is no need for media involvement!”
According to the lecturer, he has been closely monitoring the wrangling in the University and could say without mincing words, that Dr A.A. Olayiwola was the personality being targeted, not the unprofessional conduct of the Dean as presented in the petition.
“I believe that Dr A.A. Olayiwola is being targeted because there was a time he stood for Dr Awuawuer and spoke the truth. They are fighting to discredit the journals, so that that Dr Awuawuer will not be promoted. The truth is that the said Dr Awuawuer has articles in the journals written by Dr A.A. Olayiwola,” the source said.
He also disclosed that the journals, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, and the Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Health Care, among others, are approved Foreign Journals by the University, therefore, nothing could be done about it anymore, and discrediting such journals after approval was tacky.
He further stated: “The issue in contention is an injustice that is recurring in the Department of Dramatic Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University.
“The case is not about the Dean but a fight by some Professors in the Faculty, headed by the petitioner to victimise some Lecturers who published in the Journals that the University had approved.
“Refer to the two documents sent to you. The question is, are these journals approved by the University? That goes a long way to expose the dirty politics on the campus, victimization and so on.
“The issue is a fall out of a Deanship Election, which some persons never won, and now out for payback. Looking at this matter, one will only conclude that Dr. AA Olayiwola was not treated fine in by the petitioner.
“ A promotion case in the same department is also suffering the same thing in the hands of the faculty syndicate who are professional petitioners when it comes to cases of promotion. It is also observed, that the same Prof. Adesoji, is a serial petitioner of the promotions of his colleagues.
“This is a 2022 Professorial promotion which is still hanging. This is the reason Prof. Adesoji is out to destroy a member of ASUU for what he could say is a minus for ASUU. Again, Dr. Olayiwola is the only scholar of Film Studies with a high number of citations to his credit.”
