On Tuesday, the Academic Union of Polytechnic at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, organized a protest at the institution’s entrance.
Their primary demand during the protest was the reversal of the suspension of the institution’s Rector, Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo.
Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo had been appointed as the Rector in March of the current year. However, his suspension was conveyed to him through a letter signed by Mr. A. Jimoh, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education. The specific reasons for his suspension were not mentioned in the information provided.
The letter suspending Odetayo dated July 11, 2023, a copy of which was obtained in Osogbo on Monday, partly read, “You are hereby suspended as the Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, sequel to the strong allegations of financial recklessness, corruption, misappropriation of funds, abuse of office among others.
“You are to proceed on suspension immediately, while investigation into the allegations levelled against you commences soon.”
Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo was appointed as the sixth substantive Rector of the polytechnic by the immediate past governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola. However, Governor Ademola Adeleke, who took over after the July 16, 2022 governorship election, reversed Odetayo’s appointment, along with several others made by his predecessor.
Subsequently, on March 10, 2023, the administration that had initially suspended Odetayo’s appointment had a change of heart and reappointed him for a four-year tenure. The announcement of his reinstatement was made through a letter by the state Head of Service, Leye Aina.
Upon his suspension, the government had immediately appointed Mr. Kehinde Alabi as the acting Rector of the polytechnic to assume the position temporarily.
Expressing their dissatisfaction with the situation, the members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) staged a protest at the entrance of the institution on Tuesday, demanding the reversal of Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo’s suspension.
During the protest, Mr. Fatai Afolabi, the chairman of Ospoly ASUP, led the demonstrators and asserted that the acting Rector, appointed as a replacement for Odetayo, lacked the necessary qualifications for the position.
Afolabi, during an interview with journalists, further said, “The governor appointed someone who is not qualified as the acting Rector of the institution. The person that the governor appointed contested the post of deputy rector and lost out.
“We have a deputy rector on the ground who should replace him if the rector is removed. That is what the guidelines say, and in the absence of the deputy rector, the most senior chief lecturer will be appointed as acting Rector.
“The person that was appointed in ranking among the chief lecturers, he is not ranked from one to 50. The only thing that qualifies him is that he is from Ede. The governor is nepotistic with the appointment and dealings in Iree poly. The governor wants to put Ede indigenes everywhere in the school which is not possible. Is it only Ede that voted for him ? Everybody voted for him.
“The person that was appointed as acting Rector now contested the post of Deputy Rector and he lost. Dr Odetayo who was removed was accused of corruption among others. He was never made to face any panel or enquiry, he was never issued a query. The main reason for his removal was that he was invited and instructed to make the person they appointed as acting Rector now, the deputy rector.
“The order given to the Rector goes beyond the capacity of the Rector because it is by election. When they voted, the government anointed candidate got 19 votes, while the winner, who is the most senior chief lecturer on campus got 51 votes. The state of things in Iree now is that all academic activities including the ongoing exam stand suspended.”
