BREAKING: ‘Adeleke Is Nepotistic’ — Protest Rocks Osun Poly Over Sacking Of Rector

Protest rocked the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, on Tuesday, over the suspension of the institution’s Rector, Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo, and his replacement with an alleged kinsman of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the Permanent Secretary, Osun Ministry of Education, M. K. Jimoh, in a letter dated July 11, 2023, suspended Odetayo for alleged corruption, misappropriation of funds, and abuse of office and replaced him with one Mr Kehinde Alabi.

The protesters led by the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) and joined by the students shut the gates of Osun Poly, chanting anti-government songs.

The protesters carried placards with several inscriptions to press home their demands against the appointment of the new Acting Rector, accusing the governor of nepotism.

When contacted, the Chairman of ASUP, Iree branch, Dr Fatai Afolabi confirmed that the institution will be shut until the needful was done.

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 and he 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 Lecturer, he is not ranked from one to fifty. The only thing that qualifies him is that he is from Ede. The governor is nepotistic with appointments 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 for the post of Deputy Rector and he lost.

He continued, “Dr. Odetayo who was removed was alleged of corruption among others, he was never made to face any panel or inquiry, he was never issued query. The main reason for his removal was that he was invited by the Chief of Staff to the governor who instructed him 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 anointed candidate of the Chief of Staff got 19 votes while the winner got 51 votes who is the most senior chief lecturer on campus.

“The state of things in Iree now is that all academic activities including the ongoing exam stands suspended until the governor do the otherwise which is doing the right thing.”