File Photo: Akeredolu with members of the visitation panel after receiving their reports |
By Ade Adeleke, Akure
Four months after the Visitation Panel Reports on the tertiary
institutions in Ondo State was presented to the Governor of Ondo State,
Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the Governor is yet to make any comment
or move on the implementation of the recommendations of the reports
despite staff and Students’ recent unrest.
institutions in Ondo State was presented to the Governor of Ondo State,
Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the Governor is yet to make any comment
or move on the implementation of the recommendations of the reports
despite staff and Students’ recent unrest.
Some Education experts however described the governor’s action as
unacceptable and called on him to urgently commence implementation of
the panels’ reports to prevent further crises at the state owned
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic,
Owo.
One of the expert who preferred his name not to be mentioned said “How
can a serious government set up such professionals-filled panels and
just dumped the reports somewhere and allow crises to be brewing at the
institutions especially Rugipo and AAUA, the schools are in financial
mess and we did a good job by recommending how such can be tackled. Of
importance are subventions to the Universities and spending, award of
contracts, inflation of contracts, financial recklessness, incompetency,
moral ineptitude”.
A staff of one of the institutions said, “we have not been collecting
salaries for months and students are being unnecessarily surcharged,
which is causing unrest in the state and we all hope the governor would
use the reports of the visitation panels to reposition the education
sector in the state but Aketi seems not to be interested in rescuing the
sector, some powerful people are covering up mess in this school.
“It’s unfortunate that the report, which the various panels from the
four tertiary institutions had since submitted to the Governor on
Friday, 26th January, 2018, is yet to see the light of the day 3months
after.
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It was a relief to some stakeholders when on Tuesday 13th March,
2018, the Governor inaugurated the Governing Councils for the four
tertiary institutions in Ondo State, surprisingly, one month after their
inauguration, the Governor is yet to give directive on the report that
would have assisted the Councils towards a good start”.
2018, the Governor inaugurated the Governing Councils for the four
tertiary institutions in Ondo State, surprisingly, one month after their
inauguration, the Governor is yet to give directive on the report that
would have assisted the Councils towards a good start”.
“It was also gathered that the Governor has not handed over the reports
of the panels to the Governing Councils of the various institutions for
implementation.
There is no gain-saying that public funds have been expended on the
various panels which comprises of men and women of integrity who not
only have sacrificed their time and energy, but also their experience
from various fields to put the report that would give a better direction
to our tertiary institutions in Ondo State”.
various panels which comprises of men and women of integrity who not
only have sacrificed their time and energy, but also their experience
from various fields to put the report that would give a better direction
to our tertiary institutions in Ondo State”.
Another educationists noted that “It’s hoped that the Governor would act
and cause the implementation of the report in no distant time so that
the time, funds and the energy expended would not be a waste”.
It was gathered that the panel, which among other things, recommended
measures and actions to reposition the institutions for optimal
performance, was also directed to examine the financial management of
all the tertiary institutions and determine their compliance with
appropriate regulations.
Examine the financial management of the university including
subventions, grants, loans and internally generated revenue and
determine their compliance with appropriate regulations; examine
adequacy of staff and staff development programmes of the university;
examine industrial relations amongst management, staff and students and
recommend ways to achieving lasting peace and harmony; examine the state
landed properties and other assets of the university and; recommend
measures and actions to reposition the university for optimal
performance.
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Information had it on good authority that memoranda in form of reports,
petitions, appeals and so on were received from public, student unions,
members of the various university communities Ondo, Okitipupa, Akungba,
Supare, Simerin-Uba Oja communities among others, ASUU, SSANU, NASU,NAAT,
ANAN, and other professional bodies.
It’s believed that issues ranging from repositioning of the various
institutions, mis-governance of the university, financial issues as
regards petitions, over bloated employment into the institutions even
after the inauguration of the Government.
Other expected recommendations are issues around cooperative societies
deductions, school fees and student welfare. Staff issues like wrongful
termination of appointments, withheld promotion, unwarranted termination
of appointments, victimization, issues around the re-absorbed members
and administrative issues.
The State Commissioner for education, Mr Femi Agagu had said the panels reports would be used to reposition the sector. (Concise News)