The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the action of the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof Sunday Abayomi Fasina, for allegedly disallowing Muslim staff of the institution from attending Jumu’ah prayers.
Prof Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of MURIC, in a statement on Monday, said the VC’s action was intolerant, insensitive, arrogant and an abuse of Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslims in the institution.
The statement reads in part: “The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Sunday Abayomi Fasina, has exhibited outright disrespect for the religion of Islam.
“On two occasions now, he has fixed programmes for the Jumu’ah period. On one occasion, he fixed the inaugural lecture during Jumu’ah time. Two weeks ago, he fixed congregation for Jumu’ah time again.
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“Although his attention was called to it during the congregation, he dismissed it by saying nobody could hold him to ransom. He continued the meeting thereby preventing his registrar and Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) who are Muslims from going for Jumu’ah prayer.”
He further said, “We urge the National Universities Commission (NUC) to call this VC to order before a religious crisis erupts in the university.
Reacting to the development, the S.A. Media, to the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Wole Balogun, said the allegation was absolute falsehood.
He said, “Decisions for University programmes are taken by Committees handling such programmes and not solely by the Vice-Chancellor.
“So, it is wrong to say that it is the VC that had taken those decisions allegedly muscling the Muslim community in our University.
“Secondly, the Muslim community in FUOYE has a very cordial and robust relationship with Prof Abayomi Sunday Fasina and so he cannot take decisions against their activities on the campus.
“The VC is always showing acts of gratitude to the lslamic community in the University for standing firmly behind him more than any other communities of other religion during the cushion race that brought in him.
“So, the allegations that the VC is taking decisions meant to muscle the Muslim community is baseless, unfounded and must have been the imaginations of those peddling such rumour.”
Dr. Balogun said the Muslim community in FUOYE remained in best rapport with the VC and so no amount of any campaign of calumny from detractors would mar mark such relationship.
“It may interest you to know that among the top functionaries of University appointed by the VC are Muslims. A good example is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Administration, Prof. Tajudeen Bola Opoola among others who are Deans, Directors etc,” he added.
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