The national body of the University of Ilorin Alumni Association has elected a caretaker Executive Committee to steer the affairs of the Association and act as a stabilizing factor following the dissolution of the Dr. Stephen Olawale Fasakin-led National Executive Committee.
However, in a swift reaction, the suspended National President, Dr. Fasakin maintained that his purported removal “is rooted in illegality and the fruit of it is nothing but failure”. He added that “whether legally or illegally, the long and short of the story is that I am still the President of the Association”.
Speaking while handing over the affairs of the Association to the newly elected Caretaker President, Adedola Lawal, at an emergency congress the Acting National President of the Association, Dr. Musa Abdullahi, told the Special National Congress that the activities of the suspended President, Dr. Fasakin, is an aberration in the history of the noble association, given the well known gross misconduct that led to his suspension, even when there is no doubt that the Association is traditionally known to be a partner in progress with the University.
Dr. Abdullahi noted that through the noble activities of members, the Association had built a good and firm reputation envied by others, for herself and the University until the recent sad development.
He noted that the latest iniquity of the suspended President is imposing himself on the Association even after his suspension and unilaterally writing a letter to the Vice-Chancellor, a move which the Acting National President described as a subversion of the legitimate process of convening the meeting of the Convocation and flagrant breach of the Association’s constitution.
The Acting National President listed what he said were part of the offences of the suspended President before the congress, which include financial impropriety and official high-handedness.
After the Ag. President had laid the background for the emergency congress, delegates of the Association from Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Niger, Sokoto, Ogun, Kano, Kwara, Kogi and Katsina elected the Lagos State Branch Chairman Adedola Lawal, as the Caretaker President while it elected Ilorin Branch Chairman, Dr. A.A. Badmus as the Caretaker Secretary.
Other Members of the Executive Committee also include the Ogun State Branch Chairman, Barrister Habib Ibidapo Whyte; the Osun State Branch Chairman, Mr. Niyi Akinsola; the Niger State Branch Chairman, Mr. Mohammed Sikiru and Dr Bob Olookoba of the Kwara State Branch.
In her acceptance speech, the Caretaker President, who is a year 2000 graduate of Mechanical Engineering of the institution, said she accepted the challenge in the interest of the Association and her beloved Alma Mater.
The Congress was attended by prominent members and past leaders of the Association including Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), Prof. R.W Oduwaiye, Prof B. A. Adeleke, Prof. A.A. Adeoye, Prof. R.G. Jimoh, Barrister Mutiu Agboke, Barrister Anthonia Oshinewe, Dr. Alex Akanmu, and Dr. B.A. Raji among others.
In his reaction to the development, Dr. Fasakin insisted that he remains the only President recognised by law because he was duly elected as the National President of the Association on the 7th of March, 2020, and he has not been removed by any instrument of the Unilorin Alumni Association and he, therefore, remains the President in the eyes of the Law.
