Academic activities at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, remain suspended as the planned resolution meeting between the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), the institution’s management, and the Osun State government reportedly failed to take place.
The Students Union Government of the institution convened a meeting with government stakeholders on Friday, July 28, 2023, to address the suspension of academic activities and the halt of the ongoing Daily Part-Time (DPT) examination due to the ASUP strike. During this meeting, the stakeholders promised to hold a resolution meeting with all concerned parties on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
However, sources close to the matter have revealed that the scheduled meeting did not occur, leading to further uncertainties regarding the reopening of the institution.
One source claimed that ASUP was not invited to the meeting, indicating a lack of communication and coordination between the relevant bodies.
It will be recalled that the protest by ASUP members on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, resulted from the suspension of the institution’s Rector, Dr Tajudeen Odetayo, who was replaced by an Acting Rector, Mr Kehinde Adeyemi Alabi, amid allegations of corruption, misuse of office, and misappropriation of funds.
The subsequent suspension of academic activities by ASUP further led to the stoppage of the ongoing DPT student examination.
Comrade Fatai Afolabi, the ASUP Chairman for the Iree chapter, expressed his dissatisfaction with the sudden suspension of the Rector, alleging that the state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, is favouring individuals from his town for appointments. He claimed that Mr Alabi, the Acting Rector, lacked the necessary qualifications for the position, as he only holds a master’s degree and did not top the list of senior officers who could assume the role.
To facilitate the resolution of the dispute and allow academic activities to resume, the Students Union Government wrote a plea to ASUP, Ospoly management, and the state government on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. However, the appeal did not yield any positive results.
Following the continuous suspension of academic activities, the Students Union Government issued a public statement on Thursday, July 27, 2023, giving the concerned bodies a 24-hour ultimatum to resolve their issues or face a massive protest by the students. The Union emphasized that the ongoing disagreements between the state government and ASUP should not adversely affect the student’s education.
In response to the ultimatum, a meeting was arranged between the government stakeholders and the Students Union. During this meeting, the stakeholders promised to organize a resolution meeting between all parties involved to ensure the reopening of the institution.
However, with the reported failure of the resolution meeting to take place on August 1, 2023, the hope for academic resumption at Osun State Polytechnic remains uncertain, prolonging the dormancy of academic activities and causing further distress to the student body.
