Stakeholders in the education sector in Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, particularly lecturers in the institution, have said the crisis generated by the suspension of the rector of the state polytechnic was needless and an attempt to politicize the education sector.
The rector, Dr. Tajudeen Adewale Odetayo, was recently suspended and a Chief Lecturer and former Head of the Department of General Studies, Mr. Kehinde Alabi, was appointed as acting rector in his stead.
It was leant that following the development, at an emergency congress of the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), held at the entrance of the polytechnic with very few members in attendance, it was resolved that all academic activities, as well as the ongoing examinations, should be suspended.
The unionists also held that all academic staff should stay away from the campus until further directives.
The unionists cited insensitivity and nepotism in the manner Dr. Odetayo was suspended and a replacement from Ede, the state governor’s town, was announced.
But lecturers in the polytechnic have said the appointment was at the discretion of the visitor to the institution, the state governor, Adeleke, and should not have given rise to any uproar.
They added that the practice of removal of a rector had, in the past, been done at the whims and caprices of a sitting governor, arguing that politics should not be brought into the development now.
“Recall that during the tenure of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, rectors were appointed that did not suit the likeness of some parts of the state; but the appointments stayed. Persons from Ede who qualified had been denied in the past. Heaven did not fall. Why this problem now?” the lecturers had said.
The concerned lecturers argued that during the periods of denials of Ede indigenes, the union did not act, saying “We challenge them to come out and explain what they did. One of the qualified Ede indigenes, Dr. Waheed Oyeleke, died eventually in the process. The ASUP Exco should be careful,” the group warned.
Rattled by the unrest, the state government, through a release by its Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, said its attention had been drawn to the matter and that it was ready to resolve the imbroglio.
“The attention of the Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has been drawn to the protests by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) of Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree over the suspension of the rector, Dr. Tajudeen Adewale Odetayo.
“The governor, who is concerned about the reaction, urges all to remain calm and shun the protest which had led to closing the school gate, thereby disrupting the ongoing examinations within the school,” Alimi said.
He added that the governor had assured the ASUP and the students of the institution that the matter would be looked into and necessary measures would be taken.
The release added that OSPOLY’s Governing Board would soon be put in place to take over the matter and investigate the allegation which led to the suspension and take appropriate action as soon as possible.
“I understand the reason for the protest over the suspension of the rector. The step taken by the administration is necessary, but I assure you that a full investigation will commence and every misunderstanding will be cleared.
“I recognize the ASUP, and I urge them to stop the protest and allow the investigation to hold for the matter to be sorted out. Please, do not allow yourself to be used by the opposition. You are important to the government and the public. Please, stop the protest and allow peace to be restored to the school community,” the statement added.
Thereafter, members of the Executive Committee of ASUP in the institution and the National Executive Committee of ASUP reportedly met with the state Commissioner for Education, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Director of Higher Education.
It was learnt that the suspension of the rector and the appointment of an acting rector were exhaustively discussed.
“After all deliberations, the union demanded the reversal of the suspension of the rector and appointment of acting rector, while the government promised to look into the issues as the withdrawal of all academic activities as well as the suspension of ongoing examinations subsists.
“In line with the mandate given by the national body of ASUP that academic activities and suspension of ongoing examinations should be strictly observed and the shutting of the main gate of the institution until normalcy is restored to the institution is a directive of ASUP from the national level.
“Members of our union are, therefore, enjoined to stay off all academic activities and stop coming to the campus,” the general secretary of the union, Ayinde Wasiu, stated.
The school management has also appealed to staffers of the institution, especially, members of the academic staff to remain calm and orderly, pending the resolution of the crisis.
The acting registrar of the institution, Mr. Abiodun Oloyede, said in a statement that both the management and state government were working to resolve the issue concerning the suspension of Odetayo and the appointment of Alabi.