The National Association of Universities’ Students(NAUS’), has issued a 14 -day ultimatum to Ogun State Governor, Mr Dapo Abiodun, to sack the newly appointed Commissioner for Education, Prof Sidi Osho, over the alleged scandal surrounding her disengagement by her former employer.
NAUS averred that appointing someone alleged of forgery leading to her sack by her former employer, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, signaled that the education sector no longer respects dignity and sincerity.
The students issued a 14-day ultimatum to the governor to sack the Commissioner or face mass protest by students from universities domiciled in Ogun State.
A statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, by NAUS’ National Vice President, Com David Aridiogo, said It was heartwrenching that despite alleged serious scandal against Osho, the State government had refused to drop her and replace with someone with unblemished records to head the education ministry.
“It is distressing to note that the appointments that have been made in recent times by the Ogun State government in the Ministry of Education in the State have been full of scandals and that is a heavy blow on the State government when it comes to the question of integrity.
“We found it embarrassing that despite the fact that we have a NANS National officer in the State and also State structure of NANS, none of them had deemed it fit to address the issue vis-a-vis the danger it portends to education sector, because we cannot entrust education in the hands of someone that cannot stand the test of integrity.
“There must be a paradigm shift in the way we handle our education. Cases of perjury, forgery and falsification can no longer be tolerated in the appointments of managers of the education sector.
“The state government should be able to provide concrete evidence that the commissioner has been cleared of her alleged sins before we can change our minds and to convince us that the right person had been given the job
“As students, we have no scores to settle with Prof Sidi Osho, we are only concerned about the future of education in Ogun State and nothing more”, Aridiogo said.
Aridiogo, however, called on the State government to as a matter of necessity and urgency to replace her name with that of someone that is competent, and who can be trusted with such a tasking position as the education commissioner.
” It is on this we state categorically that failure to do this, the State government shall be faced with stiff resistance until the right thing is done”, he warned.
Following appointment of Prof Osho as commissioner nominee, several petitions were written to the Ogun state House of Assembly that the Don was sacked by her former employer for alleged forgery and falsification.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof. Kayode Shoremekun has condemned the attack on journalists in line of duty during the protest staged by the NASU and SSANU of his School.
The Non-Academic Staff and Senior Staff Association of the institution had on Tuesday staged a protest at the entrance of the institution over non-implementation of their promotions, hazard and Christmas allowances as well as some sundry issues.
The journalists invited to cover the protest were attacked by some workers of the institution with a traditional belt similar to the one worn by cultists, but were prevented by some leaders of the two unions of the University.
The University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shoremekun who was speaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti in the wake of the attack dissociated himself and the school management from the assault and treatment meted out to journalists in his school.
Shoremekun who is also a veteran journalist explained that he would never venture into any activities that could undermine the legitimate business of men of pen profession anywhere and at anytime.
The vice-chancellor who was also speaking on the grouse of the protesting workers of the institution noted that some of the agitations of the workers contravene industrial relations.
“Supposedly unpaid hazard allowance and what they called irregularities in promotions, as at Friday I met with the workers and we went over these issues, agreed on how to push the momentum forward with a view to ensuring that the University assumes its normal tempo”.
Prof. Shoremekun who maintained that the matter was still an internal affairs as at last Friday expressed shock that the Unionists invited newsmen for the coverage their Congress, adding that the workers had a sinister motive to have embarked on such.
“We were supposed to meet again to review the issues and that they had to call a Congress at the gate of the University, which I think runs clearly against University idea. Because, if they want to hold a Congress, there are lecture rooms, theatres, classrooms where such congress can be held, but they decided against my counsel to still hold this particular meeting at the gate of the university. I think the intention was to give it a dramatic edge”.
He however further explained that whatever the workers did on the day of that protest clearly counter the basic laws of industrial relations, adding that there are laws which he said governs employers and employees relations.
On the issue of hazard allowance and backdoor recruitment, the Vice-Chancellor explained that there was nothing of such during their conversation, noting that it is impossible to recruit any staff through backdoor to institution without involving the Federal Character Commission in any recruitment exercise.
He said the hazard allowance had been embedded in their salaries and payment has commenced since October 2019 adding that the workers are demanding arrears of hazard allowance.
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