The crisis rocking the University of Ilorin Alumni Association deepens at the weekend as a meeting of stakeholders held at the university ratified the suspension of Dr Olawale Fasakin as its National President.
Fasakin has been in running battle with members of the association over allegations of financial misconduct and abuse of office.
In a statement jointly issued by the acting National President and the acting National Secretary, Dr. Musa Abdullahi and Ibrahim Atanda Esq, respectively, alongside other eleven state chairmen of the association, the members cited many infractions committed by Fasakin, including singlehandedly awarding "a N3M contract for the production of convocation scroll to a phantom company without the approval of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Association.
"Up till now, the scrolls have not been delivered to the Association. The contract was awarded at a time the University could not hold the convocation ceremony due to the Coronavirus lockdown"
The emergency congress held in the university auditorium had in attendance members of the extended executives including Dr. Bob Olookooba PRO, Ibidapo Whyte- Ogun Chapter Chairman, Niyi Akinsola- Osun Chapter Chairman and Mohammed Sikiru, the Niger state Chapter Chairman.
The statement made available to the press reads: "It is no longer news that the office of Dr. Stephen Olawale Fasakin as the National President of University of Ilorin Alumni Association has ceased to exist on the ground of Gross misconduct and abuse of Office.
"He has also turned himself to be an impostor by unilaterally writing a letter to the Vice Chancellor casting aspersions on a legitimate process of convening the meeting of Convocation to elect its representative to the Governing Council of the University. This to say the least is uncalled for and a flagrant breach of our constitution.
"For the avoidance of doubt and for this great Congress to appreciate the raison de tre for the Chapter Chairmen to call this emergency Congress, I wish to lay before you Congress men and women our grouse against the person of Dr. Fasakin which include among others.
"Continuing, the statement says "He unilaterally ordered the suspension of National VP 1 and National Financial Secretary and issued unjustified queries on some National officers without due process as stipulated in Article 16 of the Association's Constitution
"He unilaterally and selfishly registered the Association of Nigerian Universities Alumni (ANUA) without the approval of NEC and claims to be the pioneer President of the ill-conceived and self-serving Association. This has turned our noble association to a pariah body in the 37 year old Conference of Alumni Association of Nigerian Universities (CAANU).
"He wastes Association's funds on his ANUA activities in spite of the caution by all the critical stakeholders advice against the new body he single handedly floated.
"Without the approval of NEC, he retrenched some staff employed by the Association.
"He takes over the functions of the National Secretary and the National Treasurer with impunity.
"He has made himself the Sole Administrator of the Association without any regard for due process and laid-down procedures.
"He purchases materials for the Association at costs which are astronomically high and not in tandem with the reality of current prices on goods and services.
"Despite the fact that there are statutory committees, he has not allowed any of them to function effectively.
"He singlehandedly wrote a threatening letter to the Vice Chancellor without the approval of NEC on March 18, 2021.
"Though a sum of N4,214,861.30 was handed over to the Dr. Fasakin led executive, by the immediate past NEC, he unilaterally reduced staff salary by 50% and presently, he finds it difficult to pay few of the staff he purportedly retains.
"He doles out Association's money to his cronies with impunity and without the approval of NEC.
"He uses the Association as a weapon of vendetta to settle old scores. For example, he suspended a duly elected member of the National Executive Committee at the inaugural meeting of NEC led by him.
"He tarnishes the image of the Association through his eccentric attitude and gross intellectual incompetence.
"He carries himself as if the Association is his personal property, which he must use at all times to further his business and political ambitions.
"He met with the University of Ilorin Branch and ended up diminishing the image of the Association before the University Community."
"To this effect, it is pertinent that we rise up to save the sinking ship of the Alumni by coming up with a stand and come out with resolutions so that this ship will not sink" The statement concluded.
when contacted to give his side of the story on the plethora of allegations levied against him, Fasakin bluntly responded that the information is untrue and outlandish assuring that he had "not been removed by any instrument of Unilorin Alumni Association"
"Those that gave you the false information are those that are trying to foment trouble in the Association for their own personal gain.
"I was elected the National President of the Association on the 7th March, 2020. The Constitution of the Association has provision for removal of officers. They are in possession of the Constitution. They went to school and they should let that show in their acts.
"A faceless fellow, unknown to any organ of our Association, has taken certain prayers to the Kwara State High Court in Suit No: KWS/92/2021 between Mr. Jimoh Saliu v. Dr. Fasakin Stephen Olawale & 3Ors. This group of people didn't allow the court to give it's verdict in the matter before they resorted to a futile attempt to polarize the Association by calling for an unconstitutional and an illegal congress.
"When I got wind of the Notice of the illegal congress called by one of them who is an accomplice of Dr Musa Abdulahi, a member of our Executive Committee, who is on suspension from the Association because of certain misdemeanor committed by him, same person, who has been parading himself as, (self appointed), acting president of the Association, I caused letters to be written to the Commissioner of Police, the Director of DSS, Kwara State Command and the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, informing them of the illegal congress planned by this group of people.
"The same letter was copied to the office of the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar of the University of Ilorin.
Thereof, the planned illegal congress was foiled by the University authority. Constitutionally, this group doesn't have power to call for congress. Neither do they have the locus standi to embark on this mission they have subject themselves to.
What they are trying to do is rooted in illegality and the fruit of it is nothing but failure.
However, whether legally or illegaly, the long and short of the story is that I am still the President of the Association", he said.
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