Much Ado about change of Rector in Osun Poly Iree

MUCH ADO ABOUT CHANGE OF RECTOR IN OSUN POLY IREE

Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in the past few days, has been contending with challenges over developments in the management of the state Polytechnic in Iree. STEPHEN ADEGBOYEGA examines some of the issues.

Many residents of Osun State woke up to find the brouhaha caused by some stakeholders of the Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree, last Tuesday morning. It was another breach of public peace over what seems a non-issue.
To start with, the appointment and removal of a Rector of an institution is at the behest of the Visitor to the institution; after such appointment, questions might then be raised, if there are any at all.

Those kicking against the appointment of a Chief Lecturer, Mr. Kehinde Alabi, as the Acting Rector of the institution and those saying nothing is wrong with the suspension of Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo to pave the way for Alabi have been canvassing their points already.
We just need to make a sense of the development, look at the antecedents as well as the merit of arguments from both divides and allow peace to reign in our dear Osun State. Some people believe that Odetayo was booted out of office the way he was unjustifiedly appointed as Rector.

In looking at the matter at hand, one should begin with the submissions of Mr. Ismail Omopidan, the Chief Press Secretary to the immediate-past governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who spoke the mind if his boss in a piece entitled; “The Sense And Nonsense of Governor Adeleke’s action,” over the matter.
He said inter alia, in a write-up, that: “Under the immediate-past administration, some state actors and influential persons in the state attempted to blackmail former Governor Adegoboyga Oyetola into appointing not just his kinsman, but also someone more like his brother as the vice chancellor of the Osun State University, when the position became vacant.
“To drive home their argument, those who wanted the action carried out reminded the former governor of another ex-governor from a neighbouring state, Ondo State, who appointed his brother as the vice chancellor of the state university. Mr. Oyetola, who refused to succumb to the wish of the influential persons, simply asked his brother to go and compete like every other candidate for the Vice Chancellorship position.
“In the end, a highly cerebral candidate from a local government other than that of the former governor emerged the vice chancellor. I pray the nonsense called ‘Edenisation’ of political patronage in Osun is not taken to that citadel of learning.”
The point is that if Nigerians basterdise the education sector in the name of partisan politics, they might not be here at that moment, but their children would be the ones to suffer for it.
As a civil servant in Osun State put it, “I have heard that there are so many areas that workers, especially lecturers in OSPOLY, resent the style of management of Dr. Odetayo.”
Also, hear a lecturer who craved anonymity: “Even in elections in the school, the Heads of Departments and Deans of Faculties were recently ostracised; he was reported to have campaigned violently against people marked as stooges of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“He lacks the ability to conduct the Board of Studies meetings where crucial academic decisions are taken.
“He was alleged of selective contributors in the meetings, while priorities were given to the so-called All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists in the meetings.”
Recall that former Governor Oyetola of the sate appointed Dr. Odetayo as Rector. He did that rightly in his capacity as the Visitor to the institution, however, when the incumbent Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke assumed office, he removed Dr. Odetayo through the declaration of an Executive Order, which stated that all those who were appointed into the positions of authorities by ty immediate past Government few days to his exit without following due process should vacate the office, automatically, Odetayo was conspicuously affected. It took the grace of God for him to be returned to the office after much lobby and political connections. Nonetheless, some aggressived staffers in the Institution thought that it was a slap on them, Adeleke was alleged to have committed the same error done by Oyetola by appointing the Rector by fiat. The normal regulations setting up the polytechnic which gave room for advertisement of Principal Officers in the polytechnic were jettisoned. No formal interview to select the best among the applicants. This, according to stakeholders in the Polytechnic empowered Dr Odetayo to engage in abuse of office, insult, embarrass and victimize members of staff whom he believed were not at home with the abnormal way of his appointment as a substantive Rector of the Institution.

But then, aggrieved members of the academic society reserved the right to petition the state government when they noticed that things were not going right in their environment.
Many stakeholders did and the government of the day did not shy away from its responsibility to do the right thing: Suspend (not sack) the man in the eye of the storm; and not give way to any lacuna in administration; hence the appointment of an Acting Rector. In one’s own thinking, it is the norm to allow for unfettered investigation of the tenure of the accused. If he is later found not have breached any law, he was suspended, he could be re-instated. Though, the academic staffers are claiming that he should not be suspended while investigation continurd on his financial and character recklesseless, the Government, through its Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed maintained that it amoral to retain an alleged individual in the office while investigations are in progress on his allegations. He enthused that his staying in office would pervert justice in the exercise. Olawale cited the immediate past Governor of Central Ban of Nigeria, Emefiele who was relieved of his office and Erastus Akingbola of the defunct Intercontinental Bank who was asked to step aside to give room for credible investigation and justice.
Though, some members of staff were in the opinion that Odetayo, a chattered Accountant, who has two doctoral degrees to his credit may not be found guilty of financial complicity, but he might not escape character and administrative deficiency.

Omipidan also said something which one found curious. It, to a large extent, negates the spirit of his pro-people and pro-education argument. He said: “in this era of digital and strategic communications, the contents coming from Osun on a daily basis, especially as they relate to the actions and inactions of the current administration, do not portray the state in a good light.
“There is a bit of sense in trying to help your kinsmen with political appointments, but in doing so, put your best foot forward, so as not to make nonsense of the intentions. How else can one explain the desire to make a lecturer who has no PhD and who was only promoted to the rank of a Chief Lecturer about one and half years ago a Rector of a polytechnic in flagrant disregard of the extant law of the institution, simply because the beneficiary is your kinsman?”

No, as has been stated earlier, kinsman of no kinsman, the governor of a state has the prerogative to appoint or remove the Head of an Institution in a state he is lawfully recognised as a visitor to that institution.
“Besides, it remains to be seen, the law governing the institution in which it is stated that a senior member of the academic staff who has no PhD is not qualified to run the administration of the school,” noted another concerned lecturer. He claimed that the Edict that set up the Institution didn’t state a duration for aquisition of promotion a Chief Lecturer or possession of a PhD as prerequisites for appointment of the Chief Executive Officer of the Polytechnic.
A Lecturer from the Faculty of Engineering asserted that the late Mr. Timothy Ademola Ibitoye wo administered the Institution for about seven years on two consecutive times as an Acting Rector and substantive Rector did not possess s PhD, ditto to Engr Fasakin Esho of Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke.

Another female lecturer from Faculty of Science added that “there is no law, in setting up the institution, that specifically states that only a PhD holder is qualified to be rector. As a matter of fact, anybody who is in the rank of a Principal Lecturer or Chief Lecturer is qualified to administer the institution, the worst is to appoint the person in acting capacity.

“It is on record that Ibitoye did excellently well even as Mister in the Institution. May God rest his soul.”
She went further to say that “it should also be noted that the edict of the polytechnic, like other Polytechnic in Nigeria, does not state that the most Senior Chief Lecturer should be appointed as Rector; it is abnormal to introduce that into the academic community.
“It should be noted that the out-gone APC government had once appointed the youngest professor in UNIOSUN, Professor Oguntola Alamu, as Acting Vice Chancellor; and there was no crisis in the school.
“There were series of petitions against the suspended rector on his abuse of power, victimisation of staff tagged to be loyalists of the PDP on the campus. He introduced political party system in the polytechnic. He is an embodiment of gross indiscipline.
“When he was begging to be confirmed, he was warned against sentimental administration; he was told to see all members of as one; but on getting the confirmation, he became a lion threatening both staff and students on the campus.
“The governor has the prerogative to appoint anybody he believes qualifies and bring back the lost glory of love, unity, discipline and academic excellence in the school.
“On the allegations of his financial recklessness, corruption and misappropriation, the Governing Board should set up a panel to look into it and recommend accordingly; and as such, it will not be fair for him to be in the office while he is being investigated. It is logical and honourable for him to vacate the office for now.
“The polytechnic community and members of the public should be rest assured that he will be given fair hearing and justice will be done in the matter,” the female lecturer said.

It appears trite to share this sentiment; you don’t remain in office when allegations have been made against you and truth has to be found out. You don’t stay as one of the judges in a case against you. Staying in office makes you one of the people to take decisions on the matter; that is injustice.
But then, the issue of the governor allegedly favouring an Ede person to be Acting Rector came on. We have dealt with the issue of having or not having a PhD. Also, we mentioned it that the Visitor to any institution has the express power to appoint whoever he thinks will deliver his or her kind of success. But has Governor Adeleke engaged in undue favouritism?
On whether Mr Kehinde is qualified or not from General Studies Department, a very Senior Officer of the Institution enthused that “he could be appointed in Acting capacity, but not as a substantive Rector”, he referred to the incumbent Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, who was appointed from the General Studies.
It should also be noted that the Nigeria Polytechnic Act being referred to by the Academic Staff of the Institution is yet to find it’s way to Osun State, hence it is not gazetted by the State House of Assembly and enshrined into the State Polytechnic Edict.
Many stakeholders in the OSPOLY matter have plethora of complaints against the suspended rector. It is understandable that in making political appointments, politics always play out. But our leaders need to know that education and health sectors are areas that caution must be exercised. One is most crucial to the future of our states and country, while the other is even with a potential of immediate damage.
Although, many stakeholders in OSPOLY are with the opinion that the Odeomu-born accountant that was suspended as rector may not be guilty of financial recklessness, after all, they are adamant that the fact remains that he has been alleged of high-handedness and selective governance, which they claimed might ruin the institution, if not cautioned.

Many stakeholders, especially among the Institution’s Labour leaders claimed that the Polytechnic may not witness peace until due process are followed in the appointment of Principal Officers in the Polytechnic, but not hand-picking them like that of Odetayo.