Wale Jagun
Aspirants jostling for the position of the Rector of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) were, on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, screened by an independent body.
About 11 aspirants, THE IMPACT gathered, appeared for the screening which was held at the Ikorodu main campus Boardroom of the Polytechnic.
25 candidates, THE IMPACT further gathered, applied for the position while the number was later pruned down to 17.
We, however, gathered that the State of Origin Verification Committee (SVOC) that screened the aspirants few weeks back further reduced the list to 11.
A reliable source in the Office of the Special Adviser on Education (OSAE), Lagos State, informed THE IMPACT that an independent body been saddled with the responsibility of coordinating the final screening .
“An independent body has been assigned the job and the body is very discreet in discharging its duties in order to ward off influencers. You should understand. That is all I can say”, the source said.
Our reporter, who was on ground at the main campus of the Polytechnic in Ikorodu where the screening was held, identified a former Rector of the institution, former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), the Rector of Kaduna State Polytechnic and also the Rector of The Polytechnic, Ibadan (names withheld), as those that are members of the screening panel.
The tenure of the immediate past controversial Rector of the institution, Mr Samuel Sogunro, expired on Friday, May 29, 2020. He was succeeded by the former Deputy Rector (Academics), Mr Olumide Metilelu as acting Rector.
Metilelu’s first three months in the acting capacity expired in August while his tenure in the same capacity had since been confirmed for extention for another three months.
Some of the candidates jostling for the much coveted position are the acting Rector, Mr Metilelu who is from the Department of Hospitality, School of Technology of the institution.
Other candidates who are staff of the Polytechnic are Dr Olatunji Arowolo (Department of Mathematics & Statistics), current Director, Research, Innovation and Development of the Polytechnic, Dr Nuruden Olaleye, Head of Department SLT, Dr Kolawole Godonu, (Department of Agriculture), a former Dean and the current Chaplain, LASPOTECH Christian Fellowship.
Also, Dr Rafiu Ashafa, the Dean of the School of Agriculture, TPL K.B Ibrahim Adedeji (Department of Town Planning), the Director of Academic Planning, LASPOTECH, Mr M. A Okunnu (Department of Economics (GNS), School of Communication & Liberal Studies), the Director, School of Part Time Studies (Day), and Mr Tajuden Nurudeen Senayon (Department of Mathematics), the Director of School of Part Time Studies (Regular) .
Other aspirants from other institutions are Dr Apena from the Faculty of Science, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr. Aiyeola from the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and Dr. (Mrs.) Olabisi Yusuf, Associate Professor from the Lagos State University.
