Oyo moves to douse tension at Ibadan Poly, appoints Rector, others

The Oyo State Government has made significant move towards resolving the crisis at the Polytechnic, Ibadan, just as it announced the appointment of principal officers for the institution.

The state Commissioner of Education, Professor S.O Olaniyonu, made this known at the weekend, in a release issued by his office. According to him, the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has approved the appointment of five principal officers of the institution, stating that their appointments take immediate effect.

They are Professor Olatunde Olubadejo Fawole, who has been appointed Rector and Mr. Ayodele Hezekiah Fehintola as Registrar. Fawole was, until his appointment, a Professor of Biological Sciences from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso.

Others appointed, according to the commissioner, are Mr. Tiamiyu Rasheed Adeniyi as Bursar, Hammed Abayomi Bakare, Librarian and Mr. Oyetoso Olufunmilayo John, as Director of Works of the institution.

Recall that students of the institution recently drove the capital city to a standstill when they engaged in a protest, disturbing vehicular movements and hijacking a shuttle bus belonging to the state government called Ajumose bus.

One of the grouses of the students was the non-appointment of substantive principal officers of the institution, as well as other matters that affect their lecturers who are on strike. The students had urged the state government to accede to the requests of the lecturers so that academic activities could resume at the institution.

In a swift reaction, the government invited the management of the institution to a meeting where most of the issues raised by the students were addressed. According to him, one of such issues was payment of the remaining 40 per cent hazard allowance of lecturers, which he said the state government had ordered the management to ensure its payment immediately.