Lanlate Crises: Governing Council Shields Provost Despite Investigative Panel’s Indictment

Lanlate Crises: Governing Council Shields Provost Despite Investigative Panel’s Indictment.

The Joint Action Committee(JAC), an organ steering the ideological activities of the state-owned tertiary institutions of higher learning in Oyo State has rejected it in totality what it termed as ‘bias reports and resolutions’ of the ‘Investigative Panel’ constituted to unravel circumstances surrounding students’ violent demonstration of Friday, November 6, 2020 at the Oyo State College of Education(OYSCOED), Lanlate, Oyo-State.

The JAC’s postion is contained in a press release issued by Oyo State JAC Chairman, Comrade Olusegun Oyewumi and made available to the newsmen in Ibadan today.

“JAC noted with relish the idea behind the reconstitution of a Panel to investigate the causes of the demonstration in the College because this is seen as an attestation to the present administration’s commitment to the welfare as well as security of lives and properties in the State”, Oyewumi maintained.

“Unfortunately, good as the idea behind the constitution of the Panel may be, there are reasons to believe that Mr. S. K. Kolawole, the COEASU Chairman had been convicted even before he was invited to defend the thumbed up allegations levied against him.

“The case of the preconceived victimization against Mr. Kolawole can be attested to by the unsubstantiated allegation of the Governing Council Chairman in our interaction with him before the Panel officially commenced its sitting. It should be recalled that the Governing Council Chairman said that members of COEASU threatened to make the College ungovernable; an allegation that was never substantiated till date. This is an indication of sheer victimization of the Union leadership by the Council who form the Bulk of the Panel who convicted Mr. S. K. Kolawole unduly.

“This action is rather unfortunate owing to the fact that this is at loggerheads with the state government’s mantra of welfarism and fair play.

“Worthy of note also is the Panel’s dependence on two voice recordings on two different tapes. Neither of the tapes indicted Mr. Kolawole in anyway to have incited the students. While one contains a pure statement of facts that can be verified, the other contains a clarification by the students that Mr. Kolawole S. K never in anyway incited them to violence.

“It is therefore clear that the Panel deliberately traded the trust reposed in them by their appointment to serve on the Panel by deliberately victimizing Mr. S. K Kolawole on issues the man is innocent of. This is one of the major reasons why JAC, though irked by the decisions of the Panel was not surprised that the clearly culpable Provost of the College Dr. J. O. Adeagbo as exemplified in the Panel findings was left off the hook while the relatively innocent COEASU Chairman, Mr. Kolawole was unduely indicted against the spirit of fair play and in a show of cheep compromise for reasons best known to them”, Oyewumi reiterated.

“We see this as a deliberate effort to tarnish the established good image of the current administration who appointed them in the magnanimity of the Executive Governor of the State, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde without considering the possible implication of their action against the good image of government.

“In specific terms, it is ridiculous to accuse, let alone convict the Chairman of COEASU of inciting students to destruction of College properties given the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union’s known efforts to ensure that facilities are attracted to the College system through the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFund) in quantums.

“In addition, all that the Chairman, COEASU College of Education, Lanlate said during his conversation was done in his capacity as the Union Chairman, not just as Mr. S. K. Kolawole and they are all statements of verifiable fact devoid of emotions, lies or sentiments. We therefore feel that he does not deserve to be indicted in his personality as Mr. Kolawole even if at all.

“It can also be verified that the students that were interrogated during the trials exonerated him of any attempt to incite them to violence. The students confirmed that the College system had fundamental problems exaggerated by the College Provost’s ineptitude and administrative incompetence. This cannot be a reason to convict Mr. Kolawole who is Chairman, COEASU but the Provost himself who should take responsibility for any confirmed administrative lapses at all times.

“We would like to refer you to the content of the report of the Panel as presented in the reports captured under “findings” (page 4). We refer to the following specifics in the language of the Panel report:

1. That there was communication gap between management and the staff Union leaders (item IV)
2. That the admission process in the College was noted to be cumbersome owing largely to the fact that the College Portal was ineffective (item V)
3. That the College has no control over its portal which could result in cybercrime (item VI)
4. That the purported College portal was ineffective (item VII)
5. That management was so insensitive to the welfare and wellness of students (item VIII)
6. That the College environment was found not to be attractive enough to students (item X)
7. That Union Leaders were irked by the failure of the College Management to implement payment of annual increment in October, 2020 salary (item XIII)
8. That the poor human and public relations between the host community and the College was occasioned by the administrative style of the Provost and the Registrar (item XV)
9. That non-implementation of Council’s decision by the Provost regarding mandate to keep the College environment tidy, added to his administrative lapses
10. And finally, among others also incriminating findings; the fact that College management did not impose sanctions on erring students and staff particularly after the 18th December, 2018 protest emboldened students and their collaborators to undertake a gale of destruction. It is also worthy of attention the observation of some of the students that the immediate impetus for the demonstration is the untimely and insensitive release of an official memo for students to proceed in a mid semester break barely 4 weeks after they resumed from the Lockdown break.
    “A critical look at the above excerpts points more accusing fingers at the administrative inefficiency of the Management headed by the College Provost on whose table all the bulks lie. We now wonder why this should be meted out on the COEASU Chairman who is not responsible for any administrative decisions.
    “JAC position and suggestions reject in its entirety the recommendations of this investigative Panel on this matter on the ground that the Panel appears to have been compromised because the recommendations of the Panel are not found to be in tandem with its own findings.
    “JAC also rejects the recommendation of the panel on the chief Internal Auditor on the grounds that the teaching he was accused of doing is merely part-time and seasonal and also the panel has to explain where an officer can be suspended without having been issued an official query as is in the case of Mr Adeyemi, B.A. the Chief Internal Auditor of the College.
    “JAC therefore suggests a holistic review of the reports of the Panel with a view to upturning its recommendations to be replaced with more objective recommendations that can be seen to be fair to all the parties concerned without any favour or influence of any of the parties.
    We hope that jungle judgement is replaced with fair justice in this matter”, Oyewumi stated.