Academic and other activities at the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo State, have been grounded following demand for the removal of the Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Professor Samuel Ogundiran by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the institution over series of allegations levelled against him.
The two unions claimed that a series of letters and reminder letters have been written to the governor of Oyo State, Commissioner of Education and the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly in respect to the matter without response.
While speaking with journalists during a protest held at the frontage of the school by the two unions on Friday, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP), Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic chapter, Comrade Joseph Titiloye, said: “This morning, the congress of SSANIP and NASU are gathered here to protest the activities of our institution’s Governing Council Chairman, Professor Samuel Ogundiran.
“Before we resorted to this, you should know that as a union, we must have exhausted all avenues capable of resolving the issue at hand. We have written a series of letters to the governor of Oyo State, Commissioner of Education as well as the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Debo Ogundoyin, whose late father’s name was named after the school.
“What we discovered is that we are yet to see any response from all the quarters reached out to. And as a workforce that has passion for our job, we cannot continue to look at the situation as it continues to get worse. And that is why we are out today, to let the general public know what is going on. We have begun industrial action since three days ago, and we feel some people will be looking at us as an irresponsible set of.”
Titiloye further stated: “Some of what Professor is doing that made us kick against him are: He has divided the workforce into various groups, staff members have become enemies of each other, he has also assumed the roles of the Rector and Bursar by personally attending to internal memos meant for the attention of these principal officers, he has assumed the role of principal officers of the institution by representing the school at meetings with the National Youth Service Corps, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as well as TETFUND.
“On this note we want Ogundiran to be removed. In 2023, we want governor Seyi Makinde to return because getting our salaries in due time is paramount to us. We knew what we pass through years ago under the previous administration and we do not want to return to such situation.
“And that is why we are calling on governor Seyi Makinde not to allow Professor Ogundiran to jeopardise his chances by removing him and replace him with somebody who will see the role of a Governing Council Chairman as a part-time job.”
Also speaking, Chairman of NASU, Comrade John Ojedokun, said, “The activities of Professor Ogundiran is setting our institution backwards. For the past one year, the Council meeting which is supposed to be held on the premises of the school has been moved to the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Ibadan.
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“At the same, his activities are anti-government, all that he is doing is contradicting government policies and always against the progress of Oyo State. Therefore, we are calling for the removal of Professor Ogundiran by the governor of Oyo State without further delay.”
While reacting, Professor Samuel Ogundiran in a telephone conversation with Sunday Tribune, said, “If I tell you that I do not have any comment it would sound somehow. However, I will only respond to the issue of allegation of interfacing with the NYSC on behalf of the school.
“The Council took over the role of the management of the school after an issue of great importance was left unattended to for over a year. I do not have anything to say on other allegations, but they will learn their lesson.”
