It will be appreciated if a level playing field is provided, where all the candidates vying for the post of rector are allowed to go through a rigorous and transparent interview process to select the best candidates not minding the pressure coming from past state executives, newly elected federal lawmakers and traditional rulers because this is about the future of our state and its people
By Tunde Odufuwa
That Governor Dapo Abiodun has done well thus far in terms of raising the bar of education at all levels in Ogun State cannot be overemphasised.
As an indigene and follower of development strides across the state, one is therefore not surprised that he won his second term, despite stiff competition from the opposition.
That the governor had massively invested in all key sectors across the state is there for all to see, even to his ardent critics, too numerous to mention.
One cannot but admit that he has invested massively in education and has chosen seasoned educational administrators to manage the affairs of Ogun State Tertiary Institutions.
Members of governing council of various tertiary institutions have since been inaugurated in August 2022, but surprisingly rectors of most ICT polytechnics have not been appointed.
The non-appointment of full rectors into Ogun State ICT polytechnics has since created a lacuna that is been seriously exploited by some rectors of these polytechnics.
This has led to allegations of acting rectors seizing the opportunity to engage in alleged bribery and gratification of political appointees and top government functionaries to continue to buy their way into the hearts of the governing council members by awarding to them juicy contracts and presenting them with enticing fringe benefits at government expense.
Some governing council members who are expected to oversee the affairs of the Institutions are alleged to have received juicy contracts, have begun to show support towards the appointment of acting rectors as substantive rectors to the detriment of other applicants for the position.
Some of these acting rectors have also been alleged to have continued to use polytechnic resources to lobby past and current state executives, prominent politicians and newly-elected federal legislators and prominent people in the state to persuade the governor to appoint them.
To enhance their eligibility for appointment as rectors, tumours have it that some of them have embarked on the alteration of their age, documents, especially those relating to local government of origin and their time of promotion to the post of chief lecturer.
It will therefore be appreciated if a level playing field is provided, where all the candidates vying for the post of rector are allowed to go through a rigorous and transparent interview process to select the best candidates not minding the pressure coming from past state executives, newly elected federal lawmakers and traditional rulers because this is about the future of our state and its people.
Meanwhile, the voting pattern in the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state may not be unconnected with the anger of the people whose qualified indigenes have not been appointed into rector positions in polytechnics domiciled on their own soil right from inception.
This equally portends ominous signs of future protest and agitation, if their qualified indigenes are not picked in the ongoing appointment of rectors. Surprisingly in these ICT polytechnics, there is need for total restructuring of the academic staff, some of who possess third class and pass grades and have defective characters antithetical to producing future leaders.
Also, the Ministry of Education that has supported this aberration needs to be overhauled as some of their top officials hands are allegedly soiled in the bribery saga associated with the situation.
There is no hiding the fact that some acting rectors of ICT polytechnics are also using government resources to embark on spending spree and luxuriating in pleasures to pursue their personal aggrandisement of becoming full rectors at the expense of their staff who are still been owed arrears of salaries and other benefits.
More so, some of these the acting rectors are highly nepotistic as they have only been using their cronies who they position in strategic and influential offices to the detriment of more qualified candidates.
The most dangerous reason why the acting rectors have been very desperate to become substantive is to cover the perceived financial impropriety of some of the past rectors. There is the fear that some of them may be asked to give account of their stewardship.
It will be highly appreciated if the governor could use his good office to stop the exploitation and the distasteful attitude to the common wealth of Ogun State by some of the callous acting rectors.
Governor Abiodun must realise that it will be most unfortunate, if he allows the perceived present rot to continue on the altar of political expediency.
Thankfully, he has secured a second term, which is the reason many governors compromised in an attempt to keep their position and should therefore stand up to be counted on the side of standing up for the truth, honesty and justice.
On this, he cannot afford to fail as the future of Ogun, the state of the likes of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Tai Solarin, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, as well as the living iconic personalities like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Wole Soyinka among other great Nigerians cannot afford to fail under his watch.
Odufuwa, educationist and social commentator writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State
