The recent appointments of major executives for the University of Ilesa, according to Osun State Governor Senator Ademola Adeleke, are part of his vow to foster a viable tertiary institution for Ijeshaland.
In a statement released yesterday by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke reaffirmed his commitment to creating a university with a solid foundation, which he claimed informed his approval of a renowned international academic, Prof. Taiwo Asaolu, to serve as the university’s vice chancellor.
The governor promised that the many admirable recommendations made by the former Asaolu committee are now scheduled for execution under the same guy who served as the review panel’s head, commending the plaudits the new appointments had received from the Ijesha community.
“I’m thrilled that we’re staying true to the Ijesha people. We are defending the rule of law, preventing the politicisation of the educational environment, rectifying historical mistakes, and realising the long-held ambition of the Ijesha people.
I thank Ijeshaland’s leaders, sons, and daughters for their tolerance and acceptance of our government’s continued actions. I implore all interested parties to assist the incoming Vice Chancellor as he begins the important process of launching the institution sustainably,” the statement added.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chapter in Osun State, however, has referred to the dismissal of Dr. Adedokun Ojelabi, a Liberian, the Registrar, Mr. Oluwole Dada, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilesa, Prof. Kayode Ijaduola, as reckless, claiming that the action has further exposed Adeleke’s administration’s lack of fundamental knowledge of governance.
Before being abruptly ousted by Governor Ademola Adeleke on Thursday, the immediate prior administration of Adegboyega Oyetola had inaugurated both the University Governing Council and the key offices in November 2022.
Recall that the university was founded on Thursday, March 31, 2022, with the establishment bill being approved by the Osun State House of Assembly on Monday, August 4, 2022. On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, the former governor Oyetola signed the university’s charter, making it a legal entity. On Thursday, November 10, 2022, the National Universities Commission (NUC) granted the university a licence to begin operations immediately.
Governor Adeleke, however, said that the university’s founding lacked due process, and as a result, he established a commission to examine the whole procedure.
But as Osun residents waited patiently for the review committee’s findings, Governor Adeleke yesterday named Prof. Asaolu, who had previously served as chair of the university’s review committee, as vice chancellor.
He also introduced Funso Ojo as the Registrar and Amobi Ogunsipe as the Librarian as the other major executives. The newly appointed individuals are reportedly card-carrying PDP members in Osun State.
Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, the acting chairman of the APC in Osun State, commented on the development in a statement released by Chief Kola Olabisi, the party’s director of media and information, in Osogbo, the state capital, today. He said it was unfortunate that Governor Adeleke could get off to a bad start by politicising appointments of key officials at a citadel of learning.
According to Lawal, there is no justification for Adeleke to express approval and criticism simultaneously on matters pertaining to the new university in what appears to be a bitter display and a strenuous effort to discredit the legacy of his predecessor merely because they have different political ideologies.
The new University of Ilesa is a creature of the law, hence the Acting State APC Chairman informed Adeleke and his travelling companions that his removal of the tenured principal officers who had been officially authorised by his predecessor was unconstitutional.
According to him, the appointment of a higher education institution should follow worldwide best practises and the administration of the institution should be free from political intervention.
“I doubt it if the law that established the University of Ilesa grants the state governor the power to remove or appoint the Vice-Chancellor and principal officers of the university without the recommendation of the Governing Council,” said Lawal.
It would be an unattainable utopia for the Ilesa University’s selection procedure to overcome legal firepower in any court of law, making it vulgar, unlawful, and revolting to high skies.
The dismissal sets a negative example in addition to being imprudent. It is another another proof that the Adeleke government lacks fundamental skills in governing.
There isn’t a single government initiative that the clearly troubled Adeleke administration has implemented that has been successful, thus history will not be kind to those who are thinking for this administration.
“Adeleke has a compelling case to present to the parents, guardians, and applicants as to why the priceless time, money, and opportunity of the purported inaugural intakes of the institution were purposefully ruined by him via the practise of politics of resentment.
“Adeleke’s government has been nothing but a disappointment, relishing each day’s dismal performance on every level.
The Adeleke administration has engaged in financial irresponsibility, a lack of managerial ability, a disregard for financial prudence, wasteful and extra-budgetary spending, among other things, in the last five months of his administration, Lawal emphasised.
