10th November, 2017
Adejoke Adeleye/Abeokuta
The national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Thursday rejected the appointment of Mr Ayodeji Tella as the acting Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The union alleged that Tella was a retired secondary school principal, adding that he lacked the experience in teaching at the tertiary level.
The ASUP President, Malam Usman Dutse, disclosed this in Abeokuta while addressing the congress of ASUP in the South West zone at the front-gate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta.
A detachment of policemen and security officials of the polytechnic barred the union members from gaining entry into the institution, thus forcing the congress to stage outside the campus.
Tella was appointed in November by the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration following the sacking of former rector, Prof Oludele Itiola, in the wake of crisis that engulfed MAPOLY over its conversion to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) and creation of a new polytechnic in Ipokia area.
Dutse, who was represented by the ASUP National Vice President, Timothy Ogunseye, lamented infractions in the appointment of rectors of polytechnics in the country.
He said despite the fact that MAPOLY can boast of about 30 chief lecturers and 57 PhD holders, someone allegedly without requisite academic background was foisted on the school “in violation of extant regulations.”
“The recent appointment of the acting rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta by the state government underscores the rot in the system.
“Despite the fact that the institution can boast of about 30 chief lecturers with 57 PhD holders, intelligence report alleged that a retired school principal with little or no experience in teaching at the tertiary level, research and community service was appointed as acting rector.
“Till date, the polytechnic community does not have any information regarding the academic and professional standing of the acting rector, Mr Ayodeji Salimon Tella. These grievous anomalies are yet to be redressed, even with the assurances from relevant government agencies,” he said.
Dutse explained further that as a result of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) emergency meeting in Abuja, all federal and state polytechnics would proceed on indefinite and comprehensive strike from Monday, November 13, 2017.
He alleged that the government had failed to accede to ASUP demands since 2014 despite repeated appeals and entreaties.
Dutse argued that if well harnessed, the polytechnic sector will boost Nigeria’s technological know-how, improve ICT, create millions of employment opportunities and raise the level of both theoretical and practical technological literacy.
“Our union is therefore constrained to lament again that our sector is on the verge of collapse and needs all the emergency attention it urgently deserves.
“Till now, it should be noted that the issues raised here have been there since 2014 and none of these issues has since 2014 been concretely resolved to improve the sector.
“It is against this background that we wish to remind governments at all levels and indeed all Nigerians that we cannot continue to be complacent in the face of imminent and seemly strategic annihilation of a sector that feeds and caters for millions of youths and families.
Meanwhile efforts to get Tella’s reaction proved abortive as an official said the acting rector was away from the school premises.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Sulaiman Adebiyi, also could not be reached for comments.