Varsity council to set up committee to resolve FUTA leadership crisis

The Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Akure will set up an investigation committee on the leadership crisis rocking the institution.
Dr. Mohammed Shatta, the Chairman of the council, made this known in Abuja on Friday while briefing newsmen.
The university has been enmeshed in leadership crisis for the past eight weeks.
According to Shatta, the council agreed that there was an urgent need to address the crisis from “an in-depth and holistic manner”.
He added that another platform would be provided for further dialogue among aggrieved parties to ensure total peace was achieved.
The chairman said that the committee would be given six weeks to submit its recommendations on ways of resolving the issues raised.
Shatta said: “As a council, we have made all efforts, including stakeholders meeting, to mediate but till date we are yet to resolve the issues.
“Their request is for FUTA’s Vice-Chancellor (Prof. Adebiyi Daramola) to be removed on the basis that he is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and also on a report by the audit department of the university.
“The council has written to EFCC to accelerate the investigation so that the council will have an easy task of making a fair decision.
“We have also written to the Auditor-General of the Federation to give us their final decision on his reply on the audit report.”
The council chairman called on the committee members to work in an open and transparent manner to consult widely among all stakeholders both within and outside the university.
He said: “The investigation committee will be inaugurated next week at the university and will commence work immediately.
“I call on all parties to sheathe their swords and ensure their full representation on the committee; they should accept this olive branch, call off the protest and go back to work.
“I also urge all members of FUTA community to embrace peace and allow the university resume teaching and learning activities without delay.”
The aggrieved groups include the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the Non-Academic Staff Union and the National Association of Academic Technologists.
The three unions, who are calling for the suspension of Daramola, had cut off utility services in the school, such as electricity and water, for more than a month.