Protests as residents reject new Ibarapa polytechnic acting rector

Residents of Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State took to the streets to protest the appointment of an Acting Rector of the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic Eruwa, Dr. Akinteye Adewuyi.

The residents also demanded the immediate dissolution of the institution’s governing council led by Dr. Samuel Ogundiran for peace to reign in the town.

But Ogundiran insisted that the decision to reappoint an acting Rector was in line with the National Board of Technical Education requirements.

The protest saw scores of residents carrying placards with various inscriptions while chanting solidarity songs.

They also made bonfire in front of the polytechnic gate purposely to prevent the entry of the newly appointed rector to the institution.

The situation paralysed academic activities as students who were supposed to start their examinations were also prevented entry to the premises of the school.

The Ogundiran-led governing council carried out the appointment of Adewuyi as the acting rector; Oladipo Abimbola as the acting bursar and Abegunde Olatunde as the acting head of works last Friday had also announced the dissolution of management and the appointment of a new team.

While announcing the appointment of the acting rector, Ogundiran said the former acting rector, Mr. Peter Adejumo’s tenure ended on September 10, 2021.

One of the protesters, who pleaded anonymity, advised Governor Seyi Makinde to immediately dissolve the governing council and reconstitute another one for peace to reign in the town.

He said the members that made up the governing council were unacceptable to the generality of people in Ibarapa.

“The new acting management is unacceptable to us. They are APC members. Where were they when we voted for Governor Seyi Makinde? Now they want to reap from where they did not sow. We want Governor Seyi Makinde to dissolve the entire management for peace to reign.

“Governor Makinde’s second term ambition will suffer greatly if he puts the current management team in the helms of affairs in this polytechnic. This protest will continue if the entire management is not dissolved,” he said.

But Ogundiran said the National Board of Technical Education guideline allows council to appoint Acting Rector’s for a maximum of 12months and this was a decision taken at a general meeting of the board, which held earlier.

Ogundiran said: “I don’t want any press interview but whatever you read about the protest is what the council has done and the council did it according to the law governing the administration of education in Polytechnics. Yes, the protest was to counter the council decision but what we did is in the law. NBTE document Chapter 10, Section 10.2.2E.

“Acting capacity is a maximum 12month, six months in the first instance and another six months in the second instance. And you are conversant as a journalist with the situation in UI, the acting was firstly for six months and eligible for a renewal which is final for any institution.

“It is in the law of the National Board for Technical Education and that was the section I quoted for you earlier. The decision is a council decision at the council general meeting and it is in line with the documents guiding the conduct of affairs in Polytechnics in Nigeria,” he said.

(The Nation)