Says, It Is Fake News Meant To Cause Traffic
Gani Salau
The authority of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti has cleared the air on a report reported on the social media that the university lecturers demanded for transport fares from the students before they could teach
In a statement by the special assistant, media to the vice chancellor, Wole Balogun today in Oye Ekiti and made available to the public wondered why such could come from media outlet particularly bloggers without by line
“Balogun fumed at the report saying”This morning, we read another devilish report from evil reporters who parade themselves as bloggers and write trash and fake news in their desperate bid to draw traffic to their digital space.”
“The fake news was entitled: “No Fuel, No Lecture: FUOYE Lecturers Demand Fuel Money from Students to Teach” and it turned out to be one of the worst reports anyone could write about a prestigious University like our Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE)!.”
The media aide to the vice chancellor asserted “we are not surprised as media team of the University because we now live in an hostile environment and at a perilous time when hungry, frustrated and desperate guys have chosen an ignoble path of deliberately spreading bile in the guise of fake news against renowned institutions like FUOYE.”
“The Purveyor of this fake news who failed to even put his by-line on the report (perhaps to hide his identity since he knows he was on a devilish mission), grossly violated several professional ethics of journalism which include failure to balance his report by contacting the media unit of FUOYE for reaction/responses, failure to disclose certain specifics like mentioning the lecturers’ name, his department as well as mentioning the students’ full names and their departments among others, to authenticate his cooked up report and convince discerning members of the public. ”
Balogun maintained that the truth of the matter was that no lecturer of FUOYE would stoop so low as to be asking his students to pay for his fuel money. (Perhaps, such situation could have happened on a joking note and such students made an issue out of it as students were fond of misquoting lectures which should have been verified from relevant authorities of the prestigious institution.
The statement further reads, “It is not also true that the University authorities were reported to and they did not take action on it. The FUOYE management under the incumbent leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina , prioritizes students’ well being and welfare on campus and frowns seriously at any practices against the students.
Balogun further assured that the institution has zero tolerance for indiscipline and would take urgent actions to deal with any issue raised against the well being of students.
The image maker of the institution refers to Instances of the VC’s no-no nonsense stance against indiscipline abound and they include the sack of a lecturer found guilty of sexual harassment against a female student two years ago and on-going probe of another. Also, most students have the VC’s phone no and easily call him to lodge complaints which he promptly attend to.
It would be recalled that an online news outlet,” newsflash” run by the former media aide to the former Governor of Ekiti State,Ayo Fayose, Lere Olayinka had earlier reported the controversial story alleging FUOYE lecturers of demanding transport fare from the students before coming to lecture room which the institution has vehemently debunked and challenged the handler to bring forth his facts or remained silent forever.