• Community kicks against appointment of VC, others
• Institution has come stay, governor insists
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun State on Friday berated Governor Ademola Adeleke for allegedly appointing members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the Vice-Chancellor and principal officers of newly upgraded Ilesha University.
The Nation reports that Adeleke appointed Professor Taiwo Asaolu as Vice-Chancellor, Mr . Funso Ojo was appointed as Registrar, Dr. Mukaila Oyekanmi as Bursar; and Mr. Adewale Ogunsipe as Librarian.
It could be recalled that the administration of Adegboyega Oyetola upgraded the school and appointed governing board chaired by ex-Minister for Health, Isaac Adewole in 2022 before Adeleke sacked them.
However, APC leadership through its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal reacting to the appointment of the principal officers of the Ilesha varsity, alleged that Adeleke appointed card-carrying members of PDP as principal officers, describing it as reckless, illegal, and lack of governance basics.
He held that Adeleke sacked already appointed principals officers namely; Prof Kayode Ijaduola(VC) Mr. Oluwole Dada(Registrar) and Dr. Adedokun Ojelabi (Liberian) to replace them with PDP members.
He said: “It was a pity that Governor Adeleke could set out on a wrong footing by politicising appointments of principal officers of a citadel of learning. I doubt it if the law that established the University of Ilesa grants the governor the power to remove or appoint the Vice-Chancellor and principal officers of the university without the recommendation of the Governing Council.”
Also, the Ilesa community through the Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Yinka Fasuyi described the unilateral selection of principal officers of the University of Ilesa by Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state as a breach of universal best practice.
Responding, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed did not deny that the appointed principal officers are PDP members but he noted that “the government is upholding due process, avoiding politicization of the academic environment, correcting errors of the past and fulfilling the decades-old dream of Ijesha people.”