I AM STILL THE AUTHENTIC DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
My attention has been drawn to the gross illegality perpetrated by certain past presidents of the Association comprising Prof. D.O. Durosaro, Mr. J.J. Olorunfemi, Mr. Abdul Fatai Bello and Prof. A.Y. Abdulkareem under an irregular meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the Association with Prof Jeleel Ojuade serving as the General Secretary whereby it was pronounced that the National Executive Committee which I lead has been dissolved – thereby, removing me from office as the National President of the Association.
The question to ask them is ‘by what instrument of the Association?’
It is clear that the aforementioned persons have joined up with certain dissident group outside the authentic structure of the Association trying to take over its leadership for motives not altruistic.
Copy of the press statement
The National Executive Committee which I lead has maintained decorum throughout the happenings in the Association for over a year now while hoping that the elders of the Association comprising the past presidents whom were brought into the matter by the Vice Chancellor of the University to resolve certain contradictions, would do justice to the matter because we saw them as men of honour and integrity. However, we did not know that they would compromise the process to the point that it would be hijacked by certain persons waiting to benefit their selfish interest.
The constitution of the Association has provisions for removal of officers. The past Presidents are in possession of the constitution. They went to school and should let that show in their acts .
It is sad to see that they, merely, answer to ‘Professors’ and ‘Doctors’, it does not influence their conducts in any way.
I stand to challenge the past presidents to publish the name or names of one or two of the Chapters Chairmen from the acredited Chapters who attended the said NEC meeting. It will interest you to know that the crowd at the said meeting are from their own dissident group.
It will be recalled that following the election of members of the present National Executive Committee of the Association on the 7th of March, 2020, certain elements in the Kwara Chapter of the Association have been working round the clock to, abruptly, truncate the tenure of the ExCo because many of the officers are not from Kwara State.
In the previous administration the officers from Kwara Chapter were five. This was kicked against by our members in the other Chapters like Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Lagos, Kogi, Ekiti, Abuja, Port Harcourt, etc. In the present ExCo, the slots for Kwara have been reduced to three, thereby, allowing other Chapters to be represented at the National Executive Committee. That act was counted as one of the offences I committed.
Their postulation is that the University is in Kwara State, therefore, it is officers from the Kwara Chapter that must dominate the Exco.
Another postulation by another group is that it is persons that work or domiciled in the University campus, preferably, a professor, that should be the National President of the Association.
It is unfortunate that some of the past presidents have been hoodwinked to buy into the aforementioned postulations since they are from Kwara State or they work in the University.
These are part of the things that fueled the hatred of Prof. D.O. Durosaro, Mr Abdul Fatai Bello and Prof A.Y. Abdulkareem in working, tirelessly, to destroy the present ExCo.
The purported National Executive Council meeting held on 19th February, 2022 at Savannah Hotel, (along Ajase Ipo road), ilorin, has a court order against it.
Members of the National Executive Committee have approached the High Court of Kwara State vide Originating Summons in suit No:KWS/66/2022 between Dr. Stephen Fasakin & 6 Ors vs. Prof. D. O. Durosaro & 4 Ors. In the Originating Summons, we pray for sundry reliefs including a perpetual injunction restraining the 1st – 4th Respondents (which Pro. Durosaro stands to represent) from disturbing or interfering in the functions of the elected National Executive Committee in ratification of the recommendation of an unconstitutional committee within their group.
Also, we have obtained Order of Court on the 18th February, 2022, restraining them from dissolving the National Executive Committee led by Dr. Fasakin which was served on them through the Vice-Chancellor of the University and forwarded to Prof. Durosaro and others by electronic source, but in flagrant disobedience to the Court Order, they went ahead on purported dissolution of the Executive Committee. This, certainly, set them in collision with the provision of the Nigerian legal system and the Constitution of the Alumni Association.
As we are already in the Court for the interpretation of certain provisions of our Constitution, we strongly believe that they will soon know that their event of 19th February, 2022, including the purported dissolution was a mere charade.
Let the group of past presidents tell the whole world what the executive committee of the association led by me has done to deserve this unconstitutional move
Dr Stephen O. Fasakin,
National President.
