Eruwa Polytechnic Crisis: Oyo Speaker Allegedly Threatens Governing Council Members Over Sacked Rector
The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, has allegedly threatened the members of the Governor Council of the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa over their refusal to reinstate the sacked acting Rector of the institution.
The Governing Council, headed by Dr Samuel Ogundiran, had sacked Mr Peter Adejumo as the acting Rector and appointed the acting Deputy Rector, Dr Gbade Akinteye, in his stead.
However, the Speaker was said to be interested in the removal of Akinteye, the former acting Deputy rector of the institution and who is from Igboora and replacing him with his kinsman from Eruwa, Adejumo.
Newscoven.ng gathered that the Speaker, on Tuesday, invited the chairman, Dr Ogundiran and the entire members of the Governor Council to his office, allegedly with a view to make them rescind their decision.
Honourable Ogundoyin was alleged to have seized their phones and also threatened them in his bid to make them to withdraw the letter of appointment issued to Dr Akinteye as the acting Rector and have Adejumo reinstated back to his former status.
Some concerned people from the Ibarapa area of the state are accusing the Speaker of seeking to have his kinsman reinstated without looking at the merit of why he was sacked by the Governing Council.
They also asked some questions, viz-a-vis: “Are the chairman and members of the Governing Council of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa appointees of the Speaker?;
“Why would a lawmaker and the Number Three elected public office holder in the state turn himself into a law-breaker in a sane society?;
“Is Mr Speaker calling for a communal war from Igboora in Ibarapa where Dr Gbade Akinteye, who is now the acting Rector, hails from?;
“Is the Governing Council’s decision on the removal Peter Adejumo as the acting Rector of the institution not in consonance with the rules guiding the operations of the Council?
Efforts to get Honourable Ogundoyin to react to the allegations proved abortive as he neither picked not replied to the telephone calls to his mobile telephone line at 10:52am and 10:54am.
The Speaker also did not replied to text message sent to his mobile telephone line at 11:01am and the WhatsApp messages sent to him at 10:59am and 4:39pm, respectively.
When www.newscoven.ng contacted him on the issue, the chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Ogundiran, confirmed that he and his members were invited to the Office of the Speaker, but added: “I don’t want to comment on the issue for now.”
Recalled that some youths had led a protest in Eruwa, on Monday, demanding for the appointment of a substantive Rector for the institution, instead of the present interim arrangement.
In the course of the protest, held at the entrance of the institution they had also rejected the appointment of Dr Gbade Akinteye, who was the immediate former acting Deputy Rector, as acting rector and demanded for his immediate removal.
The protesting youths said three acting rectors have been consecutively appointment for the institution, noting that such an action would not augur well for the development of the institution.
They therefore implored the Governor ‘Seyi Makinde-led administration in the state to, appoint a substantive rector for the institution without any further delay for its peace and stability.
