Obafemi Awolowo University

The third paragraph of the rejoinder went on to establish a contradiction by Dr. Raji of himself, “Because his is not an intellectual mind habituated to the grace of depth and thoroughness, Wum Raji in paragraph 10 of his prolix write-up contradicted himself by saying the same JCSSB which in preceding paragraphs he had told us the Governing Council hijacked its responsibility ‘simply brushed aside the letters [written by some of the candidates who alleged they did not get the information on the venue of the meeting they were invited to] and went ahead with the interaction’. When a person is more amenable to evil, s/he never lacks the resources of contradiction.” The contradiction here is however not obvious and may require a microscope to note.

The fourth paragraph, “The falsehood he assertively projected as truth is the invention of the fevered minds of the leaderships of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) which, though do not have any say in the appointment of a VC, have sworn to disparage the process that threw up Prof. Salami.” One wonders what a Union of members of staff of an institution is expected to do if not to demand that all decisions that borders on their welfare and processes leading to them are just and fair. Somewhere in this paragraph, Alawode slotted in “quixotic quest” to note that the demands of the agitating Unions are impractical. One wonders again, “How so?”

The fifth paragraph mentions that, as against the “restraining order” expected by the Unions to be granted against the Governing Council by the Federal High Court at Osogbo, Osun State, it was a notice for the respondent. What does a notice mean? Nothing? Does it include the notice of a case that is already in court and that is expected to be obeyed? And what does this particular notice contain? However, the capitalized sixth paragraph of the rejoinder actually screams of the possession of facts relating to the content of the court injunction by Adediwura Alawode. It will do the public a lot of good if he informs the latter of its provisions.

The next paragraph, in discrediting the action of the FGN, states, “Incredibly, the dissolution of the Governing Council by the Visitor on June 30 was inspired by that falsity, which neither the Minister of Education nor President Buhari bothered to crosscheck. In the advertorial announcing the dismissal of the Prof. Rowland Council, the president ‘ordered’ that the process for the appointment of a new VC be suspended pending the outcome of the court case. But the reality as at the time that ‘order’ was given is that there was no ongoing process to appoint a new VC.” Does this admit that there was a substantive court case but that there was no ‘ongoing process’ to appoint a new VC?” Of course, it does! The question is, “Has the process of appointing a new VC been concluded?” The answer is no! Hence, observing the rule of law includes acknowledging a court notice.

The rejoinder continues, “There was already a substantive VC who had assumed duty on June 24.” How so? What does it consist to assume duty? Sending out messages through sms from an unknown location? Without appointment letter?And without the general acceptance of the people to be governed?Maybe not.

“The Presidency through the Federal Character Commission had even issued a certificate of clearance to the university Registrar, authorising him to issue a letter of appointment to the person announced by the Governing Council as the VC.” When has the possession of appointment letter not a prerequisite to assumption of duty? “The president’s ‘order’ should have been that the unions should go back to their job and await the outcome of their court case. That is the habit of civilized and rational minds.” If tactically giving orders to the President is not considered tantamount to dictatorship because you cannot be dictatorial to your boss, then it is considered that the content of Alawode’s order reeks of it.

The eighth paragraph focuses more on the person of Dr. Wumi Raji, “It is strange to read Wumi Raji celebrate the dissolution of Governing Council without an investigation first to establish the veracity of the allegations whooped against it by NASU and SSANU leaders. It did not even bother this ‘activist’ that it is not the behaviour of decent people to take actions on unsubstantiated claims. It beats the mind that the criminal acts of the union leaders found acceptance in his mind. He saw nothing wrong in those violent people locking up members of the Governing Council in order to prevent them from doing their duties and serve them a court notice their uncultured minds interpreted as a restraining order.”

The prequel obviously does not celebrate the dissolution of the Governing Council as Alawode would want its audience to believe, except if it admits that it was an allusion. Besides, the rejoinder is litter more with unsubstantiated claims as against what it presents to the audience about the prequel. “And this is a man we spent time at different points in his career fighting the injustices meted out against him!” Who are “we”? The position of the subsequent paragraph has previously been dealt with.

The tenth paragraph attempts to discredit Dr. Raji as not being “genuinely concerned about the well-being of the school” while the writer tactically remains silent on its responsibility, or otherwise, of being a ‘genuinely concerned’ stakeholder. Of course, it is probably not a responsibility as the tag ‘Adediwura Alawode’ is absent on Google and Google Scholar, which fundamentally qualifies you as an academic. The tag may also be a deliberate attempt to avoid taking responsibility for its stance.

In attempting to justifiably establish that the University Autonomy Law 2003 (as amended) was violated by the President, “regardless of the double and warped morality of the likes of Wumi Raji, the rejoinder concludes, “Unless the court invalidates the process that produced him, Prof. Salami remains the substantive VC of OAU.” Again, the simple and obvious objective question is, “Has the process to appoint a new VC being exhaustively concluded?” Even if yes, “Does the University Community, including the major Unions, not possess the right to request a reinvestigation of the process that produced a VC, who waits to be given an appointment letter?”

Beyond what we know so far, there is much more that needs be known. The NASU Chairman, Mr. Wole Odewumi, who spoke to Punch on Monday July 11, said “What we are simply asking the Federal Government to do is to appoint an acting VC for the university. We will hand over to the person and stop the protest. There are things inside the Senate Building which we don’t want anybody to steal and that is why we are always here.”

While the rejoinder is full of insults and insolent remarks targeted solely at the person of Dr. Wumi Raji rather than focusing on issues, and while the prequel and rejoinder have done so well in presenting claims and counterclaims that further help the better understanding of the crisis at OAU, there are more questions begging answers:

What does the notice of the court case portend?

Why was the selection process not suspended until the resolution of the court case?

Did the Registrar announce the closure of the University “in an apparent attempt at averting tragic confrontations”?

What evidence does Dr. Wumi Raji have to confirm that the third candidate was stricken with stroke? Was a medical checkup not requested of the candidates to ascertain their states of health?

In conclusion, the 11th paragraph of this rejoinder attempts to locate Adediwura Alawode but no one can tell you your true identity if you do not have one. As far as Obafemi Awolowo University is concerned, Adediwura Alawode is alien to her and the latter cannot claim to possess knowledge and facts about an institution he does not belong to.

Lakunle Jaiyesimi, a Pharmacist, and staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, is currently a PhD student in Brazil. @lakunlescrews