Following the resumption of the suspended Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo, through a court injunction, the state government has shut the institution and frozen its accounts.
Odetayo resumed yesterday morning amid jubilation by workers, with an injunction ordering that status quo be maintained pending the time the court would give verdict on his suspension.
The institution had been in crisis, with workers embarking on strike, following the suspension of Dr. Odetayo on July 11, 2023 by the state government on allegation of fund misappropriation. The government appointed Mr. Kehinde Alabi as the acting Rector.
However, Justice O. A. Ogunbowale granted the restraining order, which stopped Osun State Government and its agent from acting on the matter pending the determination of the suit before it.
Reacting to the resumption of Dr. Odetayo, the Acting Rector, Mr. Alabi, in a statement he issued and made available to reporters, urged students and workers to remain calm, “as the government is taking steps to ensure peace returns to the campus.” “I urge you to remain calm and go about your normal duties without any protest,” he said.
In another statement issued by the state government yesterday through the Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, the government announced the closure of the school.
The statement said: “This is to inform the public, particularly members of staff and students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, to proceed on two weeks break with immediate effect. The immediate break is a necessary action to maintain peace in the institution, following the forceful return of the suspended Rector, Dr. Odetayo.
“The public should also note that the school accounts have been frozen with immediate effect, and it is imperative that everyone cooperates fully and adheres to these directives.”
