The deputy rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, Mr. Isiaq Adelabu, has revealed more details on the reason a senior academic staff member, Barr. Matthew Omolade, was suspended from the institution.
Recall that the institution was recently thrown into confusion when feelers emanating from the school indicated that all was not well when it announced the suspension of Barr. Omolade.
The embattled barrister has threatened a legal action against the rector of the institution, Dr. Adekolawole Edaogbogun, accusing him of overstepping and insisting only the governing council has the powered to punish, terminate or issue any letter of interdiction after fair hearing.
In his own reaction, Mr. Adelabu explained that the barrister was suspended because he plagiarised papers he presented for promotion.
“When Barrister Mathew Omolade sought for promotion, it was discovered that three out of four papers he presented were plagiarized. This means someone had presented the same paper before him for promotion. What legal practitioner did was to remove cover and represented as his.
“A committee, which was set up to investigate the matter also confirmed this discoveries,” Mr. Adelabu said.
In order to ascertain the allegations, the deputy rector stated that external accessor was also consulted and the same offence was confirmed.
“Infact, same papers were given to external accessor to investigate, after investigation the lecturer was asked to present source of his documents, unfortunately, he couldn’t.”
It was revealed that his suspension was concluded to protect the integrity of the institution as the recommendation made to governing council couldn’t be attended to due to COVID-19 and he couldn’t be allowed on with such grievous allegations hanging around his neck.
“Armed with these facts, the committee made a recommendation which was forwarded to the council for final approval, but due to the pandemic ravaging the country, the council couldn’t meet.
“In order to safe the face and integrity of the institution, the senior management now recommended that Omolade should proceed on suspension based on normal rule that says whoever under investigation must proceed on suspension till the outcome pronounce him guilty or not guilty,” he said.
The deputy rector wondered how a learned person as he was couldn’t abide by simple rule but instead resulted into cheap blackmail.
“Instead for Barr. Omolade to accept the decision of the management in good faith, he went ahead to blackmail the rector of nepotism and abuse of power,” the rector concluded.
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