Drama As Two ‘Rectors’ Resume Duty At Osun Poly Campus

There was mild drama on Thursday at the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, as two Rectors resumed duty in the institution’s campus.

Following Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo’s suspension on July 11, 2023, by the state government over allegations of fund misappropriation, and the appointment of Mr. Kehinde Alabi as acting rector, the institution had recently been in crisis.

However, on August 21, 2023, Odetayo approached the Industrial Court with an order of interim injunction prohibiting the defendants/respondents, their servants, privies, employees, or however else described from putting into effect the letter of suspension dated July 11, 2023, and letter of inquiry dated August 1, 2023 given to the claimant/applicant herein, or in any other way interfering with the claimant/applicant’s position as the Rector of.

Attorney General O. The Lagos judge who oversaw the case, A Ogunbowale, granted the claimant’s request for an order and restrained the state government and its representative from taking any further action until the lawsuit’s outcome was known.

However, on Thursday, Alabi and Odetayo both returned to their roles as rector of the school, with Alabi’s supporters congregating in a hall while Odetayo and some staff members supporting him resumed at the rector’s office.

Upon arriving on campus, Odetayo showed a court order to the chief security officer before going to the office while being escorted by a group from the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, or ASUP, at the institution.

A short while later, Alabi and his ASUP group arrived at the school and gathered inside a campus hall.

He appealed to members of the Polytechnic Community to remain calm.

Alabi charged Staff and students in the school not to submit themselves to any form of intimidation, but to maintain peace and order.

The Acting Rector in a Statement personally signed said “I urge you to remain calm and go about your normal duties without any protest.

He enthused that the government had the taken normal process to ensure that normalcy returns to the Institution.