In March 2018 , the entire people of Owo Kingdom especially the Osokiya families of Isuada Land received with great joy the appointment of Mr Banji Alabi , a self acclaimed legal luminary as the Governing Board Chairman of the institution. This development came a few months after Hon. (Dr) Alaba-Lad Ojomo a former member of House of Representatives was relieved of his office shortly after the expiration of Dr Olusegun Mimiko-led tenure and the inauguration of Arakunrin Akeredolu-led administration.
Shortly after this appointment, the institution began to witness unfortunate crises that later sentenced the once famous institution into doldrums and lawlessness especially with the obnoxious policies, programmes and projects that are either utopia, white elephant or mirage.
The press release of Arakunrin Odunayo Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN , the Executive Governor of the Sunshine State issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olumide, that was made available to journalists recently has announced the suspension Of Joe Garba as the Governing Council Chairman is fondly called by his mates at Imade College during his secondary school days till date .
This is a welcomed development !
The suspension came as a result of impunity and reluctance of the public administrator to appear before the visitation panel chaired by Prof. Olabode Kolade Koriko. According to information scooped by Abejoye Media from the grapevine , Alabi has refused to honour the visitation panel invite because of his closeness to the Governor and the erroneous belief locked in him that he is untouchable being one of the cohorts of the CSO of the state .
This development although belated is welcomed and the suspension is applauded by the staffers of the institution especially those sacked without due process or forced into labour market and penury through the gavel of the draconian legislations of the generalissimo who once turned the spokesperson of the governor and APC on social media channels.
Banji Alabi Esq. as he often fondly puts his name has become a demi-god in the institution with his executive fiat that has taken food away from the tables of many , and rendered some useless as they have now become permanent beggars and darlings of the gods of poverty and woes.
The trouble stated in the citadel of learning when the Ijawoye-led Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, (ASUP) spoke truth to power by demanding the propriety of the appointment of one Mr Gani Ogundaisi, former Acting Rector then at 63 years old as the substantive Rector of the institution against all odds contrary to the edicts/ administrative guidelines of the great college of studies. Alabi defied all known rules and regulations of the Polytechnic to bull- dose his way with the unilateral appointment of Ogundaisi as the substantive rector.This ugly development sets the unfortunate union body against the school Governing Council Chairman that was then acting like God over the entire staffers of the citadel of learning.
In the school edicts and NBTE regulations/ policies of Principal Officers appointment, the official age of whoever that shall apply for the position of the Rector should be 59 years or less as 65 years was definitely the mandatory retirement age for school lecturers. This disagreement later snowballed into squabble that defiled all solutions until this suspension.
The argument was that Mr Ogundaisi was 63 yrs of age as at the time he aspired for the rectorship against 59 or less years stipulated by law for aspirant(s). Again ,his age was a subject of discrepancies as his younger brothers had retired more than 7 years ago . It was argued that Mr Ogundaisi would be 68 years old before the end of his tenure as rector contrary to the 65 years retirement age stipulated by law. Disregarding these facts, Alabi went ahead to appoint him as the rector - a step that created commotion in the institution.
One will recall that Engr Boniface Ologunagba was appointed Acting Rector by the Governor being the Deputy Rector when Prof. Ajibefun, the former industrious Rector of the institution became the Vice- Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko(AAUA). It was the visitation panel led by Comr. Arije , the former Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress( NLC) that accused Ologunagba of administrative ineptitude by passing vote of no confidence on him and his principal officers then, and consequently asked for his relief of office.
The Governing Council Chairman (Alabi) also refused all entreaties from all Quarters to appoint Engr Alagha S.A as Deputy Rector having qualified by all means set by the edicts of the school. The institution's edicts stipulate that any aspirant for such position shall first be elected by the Board of Studies (BOS) upon which name selected shall be sent to the Governing Council for approval, not until he was forced to bow to pressure from critical stakeholders including traditional rulers in Owo LGA and Owo Is One Movement under Ch. Engr . Akinboro Aruwajoye - The Ogbeni Oja of Owo LGA.
For challenging the autocracy of the generalissimo (Alabi) of the institution , Engr.Rafiu Oluwadare Ijawoye, the embattled ASUP Chairman was to go on suspension on June 2018 for purported distruption of examinations by ASUP . He was eventually sacked later with his Gen. secretary, one Mr Arikawe Ade Samuel through a unilateral decision of Mr Banji Alabi on October 8, 2018 without due process simply because ASUP demanded for fairness, equity, equality and justice as regards the welfare of its members.
Based on established practice, any defaulter shall be issued queries which he/she must be allowed to answer for fair hearing. This shall be followed by the invitation to appear before a disciplinary panel that shall make findings and recommend to the Management Board and the Governing Council. The final decision shall be made unanimously and passed appropriately to the defaulter. Nothing like this happened as investigated but the two principal officers were unilaterally sacked by Mr Banji Alabi to massage his ego.
Suspension of ASUP and its activities as a trade union came as a boat from the blue to its members thereafter. This is because of the fact that the demand of the union body is never against all known and recognized rules and regulations as enshrined in the edicts of the institution. Some of the legitimate allegations of the unions , (NASU & SSANIP inclusive) from the Governing Council and the government include among other things :
1) Non-payment of thirteen months salaries of members of staff
2) Non-remittance of six hundred and thirty millions ( #630m) CTS deductions from members's salaries
3) Non-implementation of promotion of members of staff from 2010 to 2019
4) Infrastructural Decay in the school
5) Refusal of re-accreditation of courses in the school
6) Proposed scraping of staff school and sacking of its staffers.
The Governing Council under the watch of Mr Banji Alabi turned deaf ears to these legitimate demands. This prompted the ASUP under the leadership of Comr. Ijawoye to embark on industrial action as a trade union. This was supported by the students too through peaceful demonstration led by SUG leaders at the Governor's Office at Akure, asking the council and the state government to respond to their lecturers' requests.
The governor, Arakunrin Odunayo Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN invited the ASUP leadership for an interface with the management and the council. At the meeting, the governor pledged an intervention of one billion six hundred million, seventy thousand naira(#1.67b) with one hundred million(#100m) for accreditation purpose. The money was paid into the school account as a bail-out fund in tranches of five hundreds and sixty million ( #560m); five hundred and ten million( #510) and five hundred million naira ( #500m).
The first two tranches of the money were used to offset four (4) months salaries owned the workers as directed but the last tranch (#500m) was intentionally misappropriated by diversion . Twenty eight million naira ( #28m) was paid directly into the Council Chairman's personal account for the procurement of utility vehicle for his office and the remaining fund used for frivolous things and phony projects as revealed. The argument of Comr. Ijawoye-led ASUP then was that the money was meant for payment of worker's salaries as directed by the governor which Alabi refuted.
Banji Alabi is already an institution to himself being Lord of the Manor as every efforts by all critical stakeholders to ensure the institution was managed properly was thwarted by the generalissimo. Instead ,he often threatened fire and brimstone to sack anyone who dares his authority. Alabi turned the citadel of learning to his personal asset considering his lacklustre administrative flaws and recklessness that led to the erosion of the fame and glories of RUGIPO. He is ,of course,a square peg in a round hole as it now evidently apparent to all critical stakeholders.
Before this period, ASUP has gone to court to press home its demands and to get unconditional reinstatement of its sacked leaders among other legitimate redresses.
Several interventions were made to settle the squabble between the leadership of ASUP and the Management Board by Owo Is One Movement , Olowo of Owo, HIM ,Oba Ajibade Gbadegesi Ogunoye (III) and other royal fathers as well as other critical stakeholders,but all to no avail despite several letters of apology written and tendered by the embattled ASUP Chairman.
In year 2020 October however shortly after the governorship election , the ASUP Secretary, Mr Arikawe Ade Samuel was re-absorbed into the institution leaving Comr. Ijawoye outside. This ugly development was condemned in many quarters as many openly condemned the injustice of brother to brother. Many even queried," What criteria are used for Arikawe's reinstatement that leaves Ijawoye out." As we speak, Arikawe who was once sacked with his Chairman is the incumbent Chairman of ASUP. What an injustice and inequality!
However,the constitution of the current Visitation Panel led by Prof. K.O Koriko came as a relief to all especially the staffers of the polytechnic and the good people of the sunshine state particularly Owo LGA. The panel was inundated with petitions written and verbal evidence of misconduct / fraud perpetrated by Banji and his cronies. However,the wind has blown to expose the chicken's rumps. With this suspension , Alabi has been divested of gab of honour , dignity and integrity. The entire world has seen him clearly, and their is no hidden place for his fish.
The state government is appreciated for the strong political will to look into the panel's report and then suspended the council chairman. There is a strong omen that many heads will roll considering the discovery of the panel members as contained in the committee's report. Although ,the step taken is belated as the head is almost off. Still redemption is underway as the polytechnic has now become a university as stated by the state government recently.
For Comrade Ijawoye and too many others groaning under the yoke of excruciating pains of Alabi's maladministration for years now, this suspension is a huge relief. At least, justice has been done and served half-way.
The governor must be jealously sincere and truthful in treating this report and carry out the recommendations therein to the letter.The school needs revival strategies,and this must be done in earnest. Banji Alabi is an egocentric beast with the heart of Lucifer. He is a wolf in sheep's skin. He is another administrative hyena and power Adolf Hitler who is a master strategist in propagandas, deceit and wickedness. He should not be tested with power henceforth.
To all who stood firm to defend what is right all this while,you have done pretty well with your signatures as noticed by us members of Concerned Citizens Of Owo LGA.
"Conscience after all is an open wound, only truth can heal it", says Uthman Dan Fodio
There is always a fleeting time that is unique in history when actions must be taken to change and shape generations for the better. To all concerned citizens of the state, this is the time to take actions that shall change decades and generations for the citadel of learning and Owo Kingdom . Ijawoye and other should be reinstated and allow to enjoy grace of return!
Among other things, we earnestly request that Comr. Ijawoye R.O should be reinstated and justice done to others wickedly humiliated too now that revelations have vindicated them considering the impunity of the Chairman, Governing Council to appear the visitation panel set by the Executive Governor of Ondo State.
