The crisis rocking the Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State on Friday took another dimension as members of the academic board of the institution purportedly suspended the Rector, Dr John Taiwo Adekolawole.
The suspension was followed by a motion moved and seconded by members of the board during an emergency meeting to consider the result of the second semester of the students of the Dual award programme being run by the school.
Insider at the meeting said the Rector was reading a report when a vote of no confidence was moved against him.
It was gathered that he initially overruled the vote but as the meeting was becoming rowdy, he bowed to pressure and immediately, the Deputy Rector, I. T. Adelabu took over and presided over the board.
Dean of the school of applied sciences and Chairman of the committee of deans, Dr Ajitoni Amusan narrated that the vote of no confidence was passed on the Rector because of his refusal to listen to members of the board, alleging him of autocracy in the running of the institution.
Shortly after that, members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic led by its Chairman, Nurudeen Masopa insisted that the Rector must vacate the office, and they went ahead to deflate tires of his official car parked in at the Senate building.
As the drama ensued, the Rector invited officers of the Nigeria Police and Department of State Service to maintain law and order in the institution.
Reacting to the development, the ASUP Chairman in the institution, Mr Nurudeen Masopa maintained that the Union has reached a resolution that no matter what happens within the polytechnic, the ongoing examination should not be disrupted for anything.
“The main grouse of the Academic Board has to do with the dual award programme where the polytechnic was lured into an arrangement that will lead to award of National Diploma and NCE certificates. A certificate that does not even belong or connected to the polytechnic.
“As a matter of fact, the problem with dual program was raised at the NBTE office in Abuja on the 16th of September, 2020, when they invited both the management and union to a meeting, it was at that meeting that the then Executive Secretary of NBTE, Dr. Kazaure, established that NBTE does not give any approval and it’s an illegal programme.”
Masopa said his members were not the ones that deflated the tires of the official vehicle of the Rector. He explained that they just got to the place when it was already rowdy.
Reacting to the development via a phone interview with our Correspondent, the Rector, Dr Adekolawole dismissed the report of his suspension, querying how the board got such powers to suspend him.
He said the main cause of Friday’s crisis was as a result of “greediness” of some members of the ASUP. He alleged them of demanding for payment for work they didn’t not do.
Adekolawole insisted that the academic board approved the programme and lecturers have been attending to students since, adding that first semester was completed with examination done and results approved by the board.
“It’s a wrong information. The board has no power to suspend me. I remain the Rector of Federal Polytechnic. The main cause of what happened yesterday was as a result of some lecturers demand payment for work they did not do. Imagine when a lecturer did job of five hours and I demanding for payment of fifteen hours. I insisted that everyone will get payment commensurate to what they did.
“At the Academic board meeting, as I was reading a report, someone just rose and moved a motion of vote of no confidence on me. Then another person seconded it. As the meeting was becoming rowdy, I left the venue and asked Dr Adelabu who was sitting by my side to continue as I excused myself.
“After that, I was told that members of ASUP have deflated tires of my official car and wanted me out of the school immediately. That’s was the who show,” Adekolawole said.
Speaking further, the Rector said, “on the legality of the dual programme, it was approved by the board and even the governing council before it was dissolved. Members of the academic board insisted that we cancel a whole session at a point when second semester examination was ongoing and I told them we can’t do that. We must consider the future of the students who have paid for the Programme. We did first semester and it was this same board that approved it.”
When asked what steps he has taken after the incident of Friday, Adekolawole said apart from briefing security agencies, he has also inform the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board of Technical Education, NBTE.
He said he will resume to office on Monday to continue his work as the Rector of the Polytechnic.
