The recent appointment of Professor Taiwo Asaolu as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilesa and the subsequent dismissal of former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kayode Ijaduola, along with other principal officers, has sparked controversy in Osun State.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Prof Kayode Ijaduola and other principal officers were appointed by the immediate past governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
Reacting, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the move, describing it as reckless and accusing Governor Adeleke’s administration of lacking governance basics.
In a statement released on Friday, APC acting chairman Tajudeen Lawal emphasised the party’s stance on the issue. However, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, defended the appointments and reaffirmed the governor’s commitment to building a sound-footed university in Ijeshaland.
According to him, “I am elated that we are keeping faith with the Ijesha people. We are upholding due process, avoiding politicization of the academic environment, correcting errors of the past and fulfilling the decades-old dream of the Ijesha people.
“I urge all stakeholders to cooperate with the new Vice Chancellor as he settles down to the urgent task of sustainable take-off of the university.”
It should be noted that the establishment of the University of Ilesa has been a contentious issue for a long time, with disagreements between the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Governor Adeleke, as well as the academic staff of the College of Education, Ilesa.
While the Osun APC claims the institution is a legally-established product of law, approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and signed by Oyetola, the Adeleke administration alleges that Oyetola hijacked the project from its original campaign promise during the 2018 gubernatorial election.
Reports has it that the academic staff of the College of Education, which was upgraded to the University of Ilesa, are concerned about their fate when the university officially begins operating. The dispute led to a protest by the local chapter of the College of Education Academic Staff Union in 2022.
