By Abdulrofiu Agboola, Osogbo
The Academy Staff Union of Polytechnic, (ASUP) Osun state polytechnic, Iree chapter on Tuesday suspended academic activities over the suspension of the Institution Rector, Dr Tajudeen Odetayo.
It will be recalled that the state government had in a letter dated July 11, 2023 which was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Education, M.K. Jimoh suspended Odetayo for alleged corruption, abuse of office and misappropriation of funds, and was replaced with one Mr Kehinde Alabi.
Addressing the crowd who had gathered at the entrance of the institution to protest the suspension of Odetayo, the chairman of the Union Dr. Fatai Afolabi expressed discontentment over the action of the governor, describing the suspension as an aberration which is against the guidelines.
While faulting the process of the suspension, he said there had never been any committee set up to investigate the rector not to talk of finding him guilty of the allegations leveled against.
He described the allegations leveled against him as uncalled for, saying such should not be leveled against anybody without substantive evidence.
According to him, “The governor appointed someone who is not qualified as the Acting Rector of the institution. The person that the governor appointed contested for the post of deputy rector but lost out.
“We have a deputy rector on the ground who should replace him if the rector is removed, that is what the guidelines says, and in the absence of the deputy rector, the most senior chief lecturer will be appointed as the Acting Rector.
Everybody voted for him.
“All activities in the Institution since the development occured including the ongoing exam stands suspended until the governor do the otherwise.
“We want to make it known to the governor that it was not only Ede people that voted for him, they could be the one that financed the governor’s election. We demand justice on the issue.
Ezekiel further explained that, if the Rector would be removed there should be a proper procedure before he could be removed.
He said, “You can not appoint someone who is not qualified, if the Rector is not in office, we have the deputy Rector who can be the acting Rector even if there is no deputy-rector to act in acting capacity the procedure is that the most senior will take charge.
Speaking with our correspondent , the Commissioner for Education, Osun State, Hon Victor Oluwole said that the suspension of the Rector was as a result of the allegations leveled against him.
Oluwole said “We received a letter in this office about the financial recklessness of the Rector, so the next thing for us is to investigate.
“The government is yet to set up the panel. The position can not be in a vacuum. we have to appoint an acting rector to act pending the outcome of the investigation of the panel.
