Gabriel Dike
After months of agitations by aggrieved staff unions of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has constituted a visitation panel to look into several issues rocking the institution.
Our correspondent learnt that the visitation panel members were received on Tuesday by the Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab in his office in Alausa.
It was learnt that there was jubilation on Tuesday by the polytechnic workers when the news filtered into the campus that the governor had acceded to their demand by constituting a visitation panel.
LASPOTECH has been engulfed in a protracted seven months crisis that disrupted academic and administrative activities leading to the cancellation of the convocation ceremony and other college programmes including accreditation of courses.
After the staff unions suspended the seven months strike, the crisis took a new twist as the Governing Council and management sacked several staff before the state government halted the continuation of the sack exercise.
It was also gathered that the panel will soon start work with the call for submission of a memorandum and will meet with LASPOTECH management, unions’ leaders and stakeholders before commencing sitting.
The 11-man visitation panel is headed by Mr. Ibilowo Afolayan, while the Secretary is Mr. Wasiu Jabitta, from the Office of the Special Adviser on Education.
It includes representatives of Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Establishment and Training, Civil Service Commission and a member from Head of Service.
The Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, who confirmed the panel said on his Twitter account that the 11-member panel will look into the lingering crisis between the staff unions and management of LASPOTECH.
Wahab said the panel was constituted in accordance with the extant law of LASPOTECH 2012, Section C111 (subsection 1-5).
He said the governor and moderator of LASPOTECH had directed that a visitation panel be constituted to unravel both the immediate and remote causes of the lingering crises in the polytechnic.
Based on the directive, the Special Adviser on Education on Tuesday met with members of the visitation panel in his office and presented them with their letters of appointment.
On the terms of reference for the panel, Wahab told our correspondent that the committee will look at a wide range of issues and has three months to complete their assignment.
Membership of the panel include Mr. Ibilowo Afolayan, chairman, Mrs Labinjo Omotayo, Mr Adedoyin Adeleke, Engineer Tunde Faleye, Mr Banjo Lateef, office of Special Adviser on Education; Mrs. Sunmon Adepeju Fadekemi, office of Special Adviser on Education; Mr. Jabitta, Wasiu Sunkanmi, Secretary, a representative from the office of the HOS, representative from the Ministry of Establishment and Training, a representative from the Civil Service Commission, a representative from the Ministry of Justice.