From Benjamin Babine, Abuja
Following a vote of no-confidence passed on the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Ede, Dr John Adekolawole, by the Academic Board of the Institution, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has called on the Federal Government to suspend him.
The union, in a letter to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the call for suspension is to avoid anarchy resulting from credible reports that the Rector is having escapade bothering on sexual harassment and other illegalities.
ASUP noted that the Rector had been previously been suspended by the Polytechnic for two months for alleged sexual harassment. They also said the Rector lacks moral ground to remain in office after a no-confidence vote in a meeting he was physically present.
The letter which was signed by the National President of ASUP, Comrade Anderson U Ezeibe said the union will mobilise her members to withdraw services if Dr Adekolawole remains in office.
Anderson said: ‘The Rector had continued in defiance of the resolutions of the meeting which found him culpable of the allegations of mounting an illegal programme thereby defrauding unsuspecting members of the public over the years, acts of plagiarism, turning the Polytechnic into his family affair through indiscriminate and undeserving promotions and posting of members of his immediate family into sensitive positions in the Institution, victimization of staff and proven cases of fraudulent transactions in the Polytechnic.’
ASUP further requested the appointment of an Acting Rector to administer the Institution till further notice and also requested the setting up of an all-inclusive special visitation panel to look into the allegations against Dr Adekolawole.
‘These demands are driven by the need to save the Polytechnic from the anarchy which Dr JT Adekolawole’s maladministration has resulted to. We may be compelled to direct our members in the Polytechnic to cease all and any form of recognition of Dr J.T. Adekolawole as the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Ede if he continues to function as the Rector of the Polytechnic,’ he said.
