Step Aside For Investigation’ – Ede Poly Lecturers Tell Rector, As Ministerial Delegation Fails in Attempt To Sue For Peace

There seems no end in sight to the crisis rocking the Federal Polytechnic, Ede as the Federal Ministry of Education delegation to the institution failed in its attempt to sue for peace.

The Academic Board of the institution had for the second time in few months passed a vote of ‘no confidence’ on the rector, Dr. John Adekolawole on the ground of allegations of maladministration and corruption.

During its monthly congress too, the institution’s chapter of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, ASUP upheld the decision of the Academic Board.

They also wanted the rector to step aside before academic activities could resume.

Led by the Director of Tertiary Education, Hajia Hindatu Umar Abdullahi, a ministerial team was at the campus in Ede, Osun State to appease to the waring parties.

At a meeting which brought together, the rector, members of the Academic Board and members of ASUP on Thursday, all the attempt by the ministerial team to appeal to all them were met with break walls.

Hajia Abdullahi was repeatedly interjected by the aggrieved members of staff of the institution as she was suing for peace to reign.

She had to bowed to the request for an investigation panel to look into all allegations against the record, which she said would be communicated to the minister as the team lacks jurisdiction to so do.

“We know there are issues in this polytechnic which need to be investigated. There is going to be an investigative team. We will take all your request to the minister. You will get our response within a short time. We are going to find a way to quickly resolve the issues.

“However, on the Academic Board issue, we need to thread softly so that we don’t rock the both. The principal officers will still be the leaders of the institution. We need to calm down and see how to move on. Whatever we want to do let’s follow due process.

On the Dual award programme of the polytechnic which is one of the issues causing crisis, the visitation panel said the program should be stopped forthwith as it is alien to higher education system.

“You don’t need to wait for a letter for it because we didn’t sanction it from start. The students fees have to be paid or let them finish their course. You have to consider the students too. See to it that those candidates are not disadvantaged” the panel stated.