By Wuraola Oyedokun
Authorities of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo town, Ondo State, have berated what it called a handful of some traducers who staged a protest against the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adesegun Fatusi, in Akure, the state capital.
A self-styled group which calls itself, the Coalition of Ondo State Indigenes Against Corruption (COIAC), had on Tuesday staged a protest against Prof. Fatusi, accusing him of corruption.
The university punctured the allegations of corruption leveled against the VC, saying the accusations were unfounded and baseless.
Public Relations Officer, Mr. Isaac Oluyi, the university said those behind the faceless group are traducers who are out to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the vice chancellor.
The statement described Prof. Fatusi as a noble, God-fearing, and disciplined individual who has not engaged in any corrupt practices since his appointment.
Mr. Oluyi lampooned the protesters, stating they were acting on a script written by disgruntled individuals opposed to the progress and development currently underway at the university.
“This development is not new. As far back as 2016, under the leadership of the pioneer Vice-Chancellor, there were spurious allegations of high-handedness and lopsidedness in appointments, among others,” he said.
“These claims were made by faceless protesters operating under different unrecognised associations to distract the institution.”
The PRO emphasised that UNIMED, under Professor Fatusi’s leadership, has excelled in teaching, research, and community service, contributing to sustainable development.
He said: “The university, in terms of courses, has become a one-stop institution for all health sciences and medically related courses’’.
The PRO also refuted allegations of a flawed recruitment process, stressing that competence and merit are the primary factors guiding appointments.
“Of the 307 junior staff employed by UNIMED as of December 2023, 235 are from Ondo State. Only four out of the 307 are from Ogun State, the state of origin of the Vice-Chancellor.
“It’s important to add that not a single person among the four is from the Vice-Chancellor’s Local Government Area – Ado-Odo/Ota.”
He stated further that merit, competence, and quality are paramount when attracting academic and senior non-academic staff to UNIMED, ensuring the best hands contribute to the institution’s vision.
“This does not exclude indigenes,” Mr Oluyi clarified, adding that: “One wonders about the source of this spurious allegation about employing people from his state. The allegation is reductionist, as the university system is a place for all qualified individuals, regardless of their origin. This is indeed very sad! These individuals, who know little about the workings of the university, locally and internationally, threw caution to the wind by accusing a man with untainted integrity of corruption.
