Emmanuel Thomas
May 5, 2015 – Efforts by the Lagos State Government to appoint the 10th rector of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) is currently enmeshed in crisis following revelation of massive fraud and kickbacks in the process leading to appointment of a new rector.
Tenure of the present Rector, Dr. Abdulazeez Abioye Lawal winds up in June, thus warranting the appointment of a new rector to take over from him.
But a petition sent to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola by one Adelaja Waheed Aderibigbe of the Council Affairs Unit, Registry Department said LASPOTECH has been under serious bondage in the last four years owing to the leadership style of Lawal.
According to him, the level of financial recklessness and fraud in the polytechnic will make even the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) alleged to have misappropriated billions of Dollars green with envy.
He alleged that the present Rector procured internet facility for the school for N17 million which did not work for a single day.
“Sir, the time bomb that requires to be detonated immediately is the appointment of the LASPOTECH’s 10th Rector which process is currently raising dust.
“It has been established amongst the staff of the Polytechnic, that truth is stood on its head. We all know ourselves, and we also understand the capacity of all the five applicants from the Polytechnic, the results flying round are obviously not a reflection of the Polytechnic’s egg heads.
“The connivance of the Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Fatai Olukoga, Rector of the Polytechnic and the guest Rectors at the interview cast aspersion on the outcome of the process.
“It is on record that, Mr. Fatai Olukoga has been compromised by Dr Abioye Lawal. The same Dr Lawal fraudulently induced the guest Rectors to work in tandem with the script of fostering a stooge as the incoming Rector, to cover the huge financial mismanagement and recklessness of the duo”, he alleged.
He alleged that Olukoga took his job as adviser to an alarming level that portrayed Fashola’s government in bad light.
“Olukoga works and signs every document on commission basis. It is N250,000 to append his signature, 20% of every executed project, N6 million for Rectorship, N3 million per convocation”, he said among other allegations.
Reacting to the allegations at a press conference in Lagos, Olukoga said all the allegations were false and that the appointment of rector for LASPOTECH followed due process. He said one of the candidates was not recommended due to lack of integrity and that only three names were forward to the Governor for appointment since they scored the mandatory 70 percent.
According to him, the recommended were sealed and that he is awaiting the new appointment. He said the union had a representative on the board of those who interviewed the14 applicants screened and reduced to seven.
He said that on board the interview panel was Phillips Consulting, and guest rectors, wondering how he could have compromised the panel.
Speaking in the same vein, outgoing Rector of the school, Dr. Lawal said that what was happening in LASPOTHEC was nothing but crisis of transition. He attributed the series of allegations to his tenure which he said is drawing to a close.
He equally debunked all the allegations as nothing but false.
See full text below
His Excellency,
Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Executive Governor of Lagos State,
Alausa Secretariat,
Ikeja,
Lagos State.
Dear Sir,
FLAGRANT ABUSE OF DUE PROCESS AND GANG UPS IN LAGOS STATE POLYTECHNIC TO SUPRESS QUALITY LEADERSHIP IN ORDER TO COVER UP DIRTY DEALS
Your Excellency sir, it may interest you to know that in the last four years, the staff (Academics and Admin) of Lagos State Polytechnic have been under serious bondage owing to the leadership style of the Rector, Dr. Abdulazeez Abioye Lawal and his co-travelers. The people allow this brigand to fester this much because they don’t want to toe the line of our sister Institutions who are constantly in the news for no good reason. Hence, the implosion that is about to happen.
I will start with the Rector. To Dr. Lawal, everybody that might had wronged him when he was the Chief Imam of the polytechnic is his perceived enemy and must be persecuted. He will set up panels and determine what the findings and recommendations of the panel must be. If the panel exonerates, he will overrule and lord his decision on the affected staff. This is a typical case of the academic staff members that were demoted in the department of Computer science-Saheed Ololade Adelanwa PFAS/ 600, Jerry Abayomi Sarumi PFAS /669 and Ibitoye Akinfolajinmi Akinrinlola PFAS/606.
While these young lecturers are facing this harrowing experience, one Mrs. Alfrida Abimbola Oshinde PFSS/601 in the department of Hospitality Management Technology and also the sister-in law of the Registrar is allowed to work and walk freely after being tried and convicted for a case of forged certificate. This is just one out of many of such double standard in the polytechnic.
Sir, regardless of the religious veil that the rector is covered with, it will amuse you to know that the financial recklessness and frauds in the polytechnic will make even NNPC go green with envy. What would anyone imagine on an internet provision that was procured with seventeen million naira and never worked for a day. Award of biased scholarships without any regards for quota system and merit. These are just to mention few.
Sir, the time bomb that requires to be detonated IMMEDIATELY is the appointment of the LASPOTECH’s 10th Rector which process is currently raising dust. It has been established amongst the staff of the Polytechnic, that truth is stood on its head. We all know ourselves, and we also understand the capacity of all the five Applicants from the Polytechnic, the results flying round are obviously not a reflection of the Polytechnic’s egg heads. The connivance of the Special Adviser on Education, Rector of the Polytechnic and the guest Rectors at the interview cast aspersion on the outcome of the process.
It is on record that, Mr. Fatai Olukoga has been compromised by Dr Abioye Lawal. The same Dr Lawal fraudulently induced the guest Rectors to work in tandem with the script of fostering a stooge as the incoming Rector, to cover the huge financial mismanagement and recklessness of the duo (SAE and Rector).
Sir, you may wish to know that, Mr Fatai Olukoga took his job as your ADVISER to an alarming level that portrayed your government in bad light. Olukoga works and signs every document on commission basis. It is Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira to append his signature, 20% of every executed project, Six Million Naira for rectorship, Three Million Naira per Convocation, etc aside other ungodly gratifications during any festive period. Most times, monies are processed for him through the office of the school PRO- these are all verifiable facts.
I quite understand the fact that, it is informal to swear and such action is alien to Nigerian constitution. But I make bold to say that, all the actors in this unfolding drama should swear to heavens and worth they believe in to prove their innocence. Documents don’t also lie sir.
You may wish to investigate these conduit pipes sir; HAF-HAX TECHNOLOGY- owned by the Registrar’s husband, LASTAK- owned by the Rector and WAKO CONSTRUCTION LIMITED –owned by the Rector’s Personal Assistant.
Your Excellency sir, it should be noted that I am not interested in any candidate, but in free and fair process that is devoid favouritism, nepotism or ‘godfatherism”.
MY PRAYERS
- Your Excellency sir, I will admonish you to set up INDEPENDENT panel of inquiry to investigate all the aforementioned claims and others that I don’t have knowledge of, to save the Polytechnic from the threatening collapse
- Investigate all the Special Adviser’s dirty dealings (some concealed in secrecy while some in the open) with the Polytechnic Management while the Governing Council was not in place.
- Invite Philip Consulting to provide the original results of the Computer Based Test (CBT) that was conducted for all the Candidates vying for the post of rectorship.
- Request for the original rough scores/grade from the league of Rectors, and question why grades were uttered
- Inaugurate another panel of professionals and Academics to painstakingly scrutinize (a) the documents of the Applicants, (b) sincerely determine the states of origin, (c) adequately interview the Applicants (written & oral), (d) everything should be done in the full glare of cameras
- Please, constitute a formidable and progressive Governing Council for the Polytechnic to avoid further depletion of our scarce resources and the ‘military’ like leadership style.
Sir, kindly take time to act upon the sincere petition before the pending implosion snowball into regrettable crises.
Long live Lagos State. Long live LASPOTECH.
Yours Sincerely
Signed
Adelaja Waheed ADERIBIGBE
Council Affairs Unit, Registry Department,
Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu.
