A former member of Nigerian Youth Parliament, Hon Olatunde Femi Ajirotutu has described the purported endorsement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, by the Ekiti State University (EKSU) Alumni Association as “ignoble and preposterous”, saying the present leadership of the association was only out to destroy it with their “reckless display of partisanship.”
Ajirotutu, a graduate of EKSU, announced the immediate withdrawal of his membership of the Alumni Association, calling on other graduates of the university to rise in defense of the integrity of the association.
The statement read; “It is highly preposterous and ignoble that some executive members of an association formed on the basic principles of protecting the interests of her members has taken a partial decision in supporting a Gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming election where more than one alumnus is contesting.
“The Ekiti State University Alumni Association has been known for her exemplary records proven over years, agitating for the interest of her members in matters affecting them. The narratives are changing in recent times when the Alumni went mute on the ignoble and obnoxious decision of the Management orchestrated by the Governing council to retrench Academic Staffs of our beloved Institution.
“It is interesting to know that some victims of this decision (mass retrenchment of academic staffs) are alumni of our great university and up till now, the association failed to agitate for her members’ interest.
“A very appalling situation was recorded when the Alumni drummed support for the Gubernatorial Candidate of the ruling party in the state. The candidate who fortunately is a member of the Governing Council that retrenched massively Academic Staffs who are members of the alumni association. If conventional restrictions don’t prevail that the alumni should be neutral in taking such political decision that is detrimental to the state, the university community at large, moral conscience should.
“As a bonafide member of the Alumni Association, who has duly fulfilled his financial obligations towards the sustainability of the body, I entreat the leadership of the Alumni to refrain from such ignoble and unpleasant act that can tarnish the image of the association and embrace neutrality in the coming elections else, I withdraw my membership and call on all well meaning graduates who posses the verified certificates of our Alma Mater to condemn this selfish and inconsiderate decision of the leadership to throw support behind an aspirant.”