By Stephen Gbadamosi
A former Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Barrister Sunday Ojo Williams, and other leaders of thought in the state, including those from Ijesaland in the South-West State, have cried out over alleged nepotism in placing of public officials in the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration in the state.
Governor Adeleke belongs to the PDP.
The leaders alleged that the state government’s action was an administrative and democratic rape.
There has been simmering disquiet in the state in the last two years over reported imposition of people of Ede origin -the governor’s home area -in key positions in the state government machinery.
The matter came to a head recently when the position of Rector of Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke, was projected to be filled imminently and an Ede indigene was rumoured to have been pencilled down for the seat.
As the rumour filtered out, irate youths in Ijesaland, however, vowed to resist the alleged imposition.
A group of concerned Ijesa sons and daughters under the umbrella of Ijesa Visionary Group recently cried out over what was termed “continued ‘Ede-nisation’ of the state, a rape on democracy and an abuse of office.”
The group stated that “the proposal of the Osun State government to install another Ede indigene as Rector of OSCOTECH would be totally rejected,” describing it as abuse of office.
Leader of the group, Barrister Yomi Adekanmi, said: “The governor is making frantic effort to install the present Deputy Rector, Mr. Sefiu Adebowale Adewumi, who was manipulated to be Deputy Rector recently, after compelling an Esa-Oke-born Chief Lecturer, Mrs. Kehinde Ijitona to step down for the Ede indigene, as the Acting Rector of the institution and may be subsequently appointed as the substantive Rector.
“The claim of the Governor and his Chief of Staff is that Mr. Adewumi is the most popular, most qualified and most senior officer in the school, whereas there are many others who are Ijesa people and are more qualified than him in the polytechnic; among them is a former Deputy Rector, Deans, Directors and former Heads of Departments.”
Barrister Adekanmi alleged that an internal and external advertisement had been placed in national dailies for the position of Rector, alleging,however, that feelers the group received from within the college pointed to indications that the State government is making “frantic efforts” to install Adewumi, a kinsman and rumoured relation of the governor as Rector.
He recalled that an Ede man was equally appointed as Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, two years ago.
Speaking on the matter, Barrister Williams, who is now a chieftain of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), noted that it would amount to oppression against Ijesa people in the state, should Adewunmi be appointed.
He, however, said the development would be resisted, but in a matured way.
“Ijesa people have been complaining about this development; it is only Ede people that are not complaining; they are the beneficiaries.
“We have a list of Ede indigenes in the government, highly placed in various agencies, departments and institutions.
“This is not the first time that this kind of development would be happening. And the Ijesa are always the most affected.
“We will resist these Ede impositions; but we are a cultured people; it will be done maturely,” Williams said.
He lamented that many qualified Ijesa indigenes in OSCOTECH were “not allowed” to apply for the position of Rector, as, according to him, they were alleged to have been threatened by some officials in the institution’s management.
Another leader of thought, Chief Kunle Odeyemi, also a stalwart of APC in the state, said Ijesaland leaders would call on sons of the land in the Adeleke-led government to resign and come back home, if the alleged marginalisation of Ijesa people continued.
“People like Diran Odeyemi, who is the Chairman of the Governing Council of OSCOTECH, should be talking and resisting imposition of the proposed Ede son as Rector on the institution.
“Mr. Sunday Bisi, Senator Adenigba Fadahunsi, Honourable Wole Oke, Honourable Sanya Omirin, Ibukun Fadipe and other PDP leaders and our traditional rulers should be talking.
“We, as politicians, if we talk, they could say we are playing politics. The development is very bad,” he said.
The consensus is that the government should allow all eligible candidates to vie for the position of OSCOTECH Rector, he added.
Efforts to speak with the Chairman of the Governing Council proved abortive, but sources said that Odeyemi might resign his appointment, if he is compelled “to support the appointment of the Ede man who only posseses a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Mathematics, Rector.”
A source in Government House, Osogbo, the state capital, told PeopleandPolitics.net that the fears of the Ijesa leaders were “without substance.”
The official explained that Gov. Adeleke had all along struck a balance in appointments in the state, insisting that all parts of the state are being carried along.
The source condemned “the politicization of a straightforward matter such as appointment of a Rector.”
“On this matter, what do these politicians masquerading as leaders really want? That the Chairman, Governing Council, and Rector should emerge from one locality?
“Gov. Adeleke will do what’s best in the state’s interest,” the source said.
