MURIC Raises Alarm Over Appointments, Administrative Processes at FUNATO

 

By Our Correspondent

 

The , Oyo State Chapter, has expressed concern over recent appointments and administrative processes at the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho (FUNATO), calling for transparency, fairness and inclusiveness in the institution’s management.

 

In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the State Secretary of the group, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, MURIC commended the Federal Government for establishing FUNATO, describing the institution as a major educational milestone for the Oke-Ogun zone and Oyo State in general.

 

However, the group alleged that recent developments under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olaniyi Jacob Babayemi, have raised questions regarding equity and representation within the university’s administrative structure.

 

MURIC specifically referenced the appointments of Professor Emmanuel Adegbenga Adekoya, Professor Egbeyale, Professor Godwin Olutona, Professor Ojoawo and Professor Awodoyin as Deans across various faculties, noting that although the appointees may be academically qualified, concerns persist over the process that produced the appointments and the perceived imbalance in representation.

 

The group also faulted the conduct of the resource verification exercise reportedly carried out by the National Universities Commission, NUC, alleging that the exercise lacked adequate transparency and inclusiveness.

 

According to the statement, the exercise was allegedly conducted within a single day without sufficient communication, thereby excluding several qualified participants.

 

MURIC further claimed that subsequent appointments appeared to have been drawn largely from a limited pool of participants involved in the exercise, a development it said has generated concerns over fairness and equal opportunity.

 

The organization also alleged reports of disproportionate representation along religious lines in the appointment of Deans and Heads of Departments within the institution.

 

The group stressed that FUNATO, being a federal institution, must reflect Nigeria’s diversity in line with the federal character principle, warning against the marginalization of any religious or ethnic group at the formative stage of the university.

 

“MURIC’s intervention is not driven by bias or favoritism but by the need to uphold due process, fairness, justice, equity and inclusiveness necessary for national unity and institutional credibility,” the statement added.

 

The organization consequently called on the Governing Council of FUNATO, the NUC, the Federal Ministry of Education, as well as traditional rulers and community leaders in Oke-Ogun, to investigate and review all appointments and processes carried out so far in the institution.

 

It further stated that it would continue to monitor developments within the university to ensure that the institution remains faithful to its federal mandate and does not become a platform for sectional or religious dominance.

 

MURIC concluded by warning that the integrity and future of FUNATO must not be compromised at its formative stage, urging all stakeholders to ensure that equity, transparency and inclusiveness guide every administrative process within the institution.