Controversy trails LAUTECH Iseyin Campus Provost election as stakeholders question winner’s eligibility
pannigeriannews
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Fresh controversy has trailed the election of the Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Iseyin Campus, of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), following allegations by some stakeholders that the declared winner does not satisfy the requirements for the office.
The stakeholders, who are challenging the outcome of the election, alleged that the professor falls short of certain conditions stipulated in the University’s regulations guiding the appointment of a Provost.
A major issue raised by the petitioners centres on the professor’s state of origin.
They alleged that records submitted at the time of his employment by the University identified him as an indigene of Ede in Osun State and that his application for appointment was accompanied by a recommendation from a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly.
According to them, the professor is now laying claim to Oyo State origin, a development they described as inconsistent with the information contained in his earlier records.
The stakeholders further alleged that there were indications some University officials might have assisted the professor after the election in processing documents aimed at establishing him as a bona fide indigene of Oyo State, despite his earlier claim of being from Ede, Osun State.
However, the allegations could not be independently verified.
The petitioners also questioned the professor’s administrative qualifications, contending that the University’s regulations require prospective Provosts to possess prior leadership experience, including service as a Head of Department, Dean, or Chairman of major committees.
They maintained that the elected Provost had not previously occupied any of the prescribed positions and might therefore lack the requisite administrative experience to oversee the College, which currently comprises two faculties and nine academic departments.
The stakeholders equally alleged that the nomination process was influenced by individuals pursuing what they described as an “Osun agenda.”
They claimed that some senior academics who backed the candidate were opposed to the current University administration and the ongoing development of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Iseyin.
They further recalled that the professor was allegedly disqualified from contesting a previous University Council election on the grounds that he was regarded as an indigene of Osun State, arguing that the issue should be clarified in the interest of transparency, fairness and institutional integrity.
The stakeholders consequently called on the University authorities to investigate the allegations thoroughly and ensure that due process, equity and the University’s extant regulations are strictly adhered to in the appointment of Principal Officers.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the elected Provost were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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