The College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo has called on the state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to save the institution from imminent crisis as a result of proposed tenure elongation for the Provost, Dr. Rasak Adefabi.
The Union disclosed that the call on the state governor is important because it is to safeguard the smooth running of academic activities in the institution from being truncated by few individuals.
Speaking with journalists at a peaceful protest to express their grievance, the COEASU Chairman of the college, Comrade Olusegun, disclosed that the protest is to stop the proposed tenure extension of the Provost, Dr. Rasaq Adefabi, whose tenure will lapse on 15th May, 2022.
He maintained that the Union, through intelligent information gathered, alleged that the Provost had compromised the institution Governing Council to have his tenure extended by a year.
According to Comrade Olusegun, “the agitation is all about the inordinate ambition of our Provost, whose tenure will lapse by 15th of May, 2022. He has compromised the Council to extend his tenure and the extension of his tenure is immoral and it is not known to any law of the institution. So, we are saying that the law stipulates that the Provost and other management team can spend four years in the first term and another four years in the second term and nothing more. Dr. Rasak Adefabi’s eight years of two terms will be completed on 15th May, 2022 and he is now seeking an extension of a year. We are saying that it is immoral, it is illegal and it is an aberration. It is a plot by a few members of the Council who our intelligent report showed that have been bribed to have his way.
“Therefore, we are beckoning to the Governor of Oyo State, our beloved Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, we are calling his attention to this, that these few people should not disrupt the peace of the college. Academic staff union of this college is about 400 and we are saying that enough is enough, that Provost, Dr Rasak Adefabi has spent eight years in office and he should be allowed to go home and rest.”
Comrade Olusegun expressed that the Union will restrict any attempt from any quarter to force the elongation of Dr. Rasak Adefabi on the staff of the college with stiff and serious reaction.
He added that the Union has over 100 members who are qualified members who can be appointed in acting capacity to allow the process of choosing the new Provost to begin.
“The Union has over 100 members that are qualified and any of these members can be chosen in acting capacity while the process of appointing a successive Provost will commence immediately. So, we are saying that enough is enough; we don’t want Dr. Rasak Adefabi beyond his tenure on the 15th May, 2022 and any attempt by any individual or group to enforce him on us will be melted with stiff and serious reaction.
“We are saying that beyond his tenure we can no longer cooperate with him as a Provost and we can no longer work with him and we can not even guarantee his safety beyond on 15th of May, 2022.
“By implication, we are telling the state government to do the needful by allowing this man to home and rest. He has run his bid, his extension is immoral, it is unlawful and it can not be justified.”
Comrade Olusegun, who is also the Chairman of Joint Action Committee of all Trade Unions in Oyo State owned Tertiary Institutions, also appealed to the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barr Rahman Abdul-Raheem to act in line of his promise not to support any act of illegality.
“I want to call on the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, when we met with him, he said he is a lawyer and that he can not support something that is unlawful. The Commissioner knows that it is unlawful, it is illegal but we are now amazed what has changed him, what has now made him to shift his position in favour of illegality?
“We want to believe that what we are hearing about the Commissioner shifting position is rumour, we want to believe that they are blackmailing him, but we want to tell him to do the needful and call the Council to order and not to do illegality. We are saying that there is no law that supports the position of the Council and any attempt from the Council to extend his tenure is illegal and will be resisted by the body of academia.
Meanwhile, in order to listen to his side of the story, a call was put to the Provost, Dr. Rasak Adefabi, however, replied that he was in a meeting, and up to the time of filing this report, he has not got back.
