The authorities of Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, have debunked the claim by an online platform that one of the candidates currently seeking the office of the institution’s President/Vice-Chancellor was being resisted over an alleged sexual allegation leveled against him by the university in the past.

The university also denied report that its outgoing President/Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tayo Ademola, wanted to manipulate the appointment process of his successor to favour a particular candidate.

It stated that apart from the fact that the entire report was a falsehood, the purported advocacy group, called “The Apostles Seventh-Day Adventist Advocacy Group” or its so-called coordinator, one Elder Samson Fasasi, credited by the online platform to be the source of the story were completely unknown not only to the university community, but to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the proprietor of the university.

In a statement made available on Monday by the Director of Public Affairs and Marketing of Babcock University, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, the university declared that Professor Afolarin Olutunde Ojewole, who the report accused of sexual infidelity was until his leave of absence from the university in 2018 the university’s Pastor/Associate Vice President for Spiritual Life and he had never been involved, accused, dismissed, or sanctioned on the grounds of sexual infidelity or any other offence by the university.

“So, the allegation against him, the church, the university authority as well as the outgoing Vice-chancellor in the report is a product of reckless imagination and a deliberate attempt by some irresponsible self-seeking service individuals to malign the character of the university, the church and personalities mentioned,” the statement read.

The university explained that Professor Afolarin Ojewole, who the newspaper accused of sexual infidelity, university advised him to resign and that he did to cover up his leave of absence in accordance with the policy of the university.

According to the university, his leave of absence was for family reason that has to do with lending appropriate parental supports for his children who decided to relocate back to the United States with the hope of coming back with his wife, after a while, to the university to continue their services.

The university asked the online platform if it is logical and sensible that Prof. Ojewole would have ever come back again to seek the position of a Vice Chancellor in the same university where he was accused of sexual misconduct and advised to resign and he did so to cover up.

“That is why to us the newspaper has a mischief interest- to undermine the integrity of our university, sow seeds of discord among members of the university community and other stakeholders, and also to cast aspersions on the outgoing VC and the people shopping for his successor.

The university pointed out that the appointment of a new President/Vice-Chancellor of the university since it was inaugurated as a private university in 1999 has neither been political nor subject to lobbying as it is not an election.

The appointment process, it noted, is rather a sacred and spiritual exercise grounded on merit, excellence, prayerful consideration, adherence to the church’s policies and the nation’s laws as candidates are assessed strictly on merit by the university’s Governing Council, saddles with that responsibility.

The university warned the newspaper and people who “orchestrated” the report to desist from destructive practice as such would not do them any good, but rather put them into trouble, threatening to institute a legal action against the newspaper.

It reaffirms to all stakeholders—students, staff, alumni, parents, and the general public—that the ongoing process of appointing the next Vice-Chancellor remains transparent, just, fair, and guided solely by merit and service.

“Babcock University’s legacy of moral integrity, spiritual depth, and academic excellence will never be undermined compromised as the university remains committed to its mission of building servant leaders for Nigeria and the global markets at large,” it concluded. (Nigerian Tribune, but headline rejigged)

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