Members of staff of the Ondo State School of Health Technology, Akure have accused the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, of allegedly planning to impose a provost on the institution.
The staff said the position of provost of the college would be vacant by next month and the commissioner had allegedly penciled down a candidate to fill the position, saying this was against their wish that the next provost must be an alumnus of the institution.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the staff and jointly signed by Oloruntoba Ikuyinminu and Ayodele Yemi on behalf of other staff.
The aggrieved staff, according to the statement, urged the commissioner not to impose a candidate on the institution in order not to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the college.
The statement read, “The Commissioner for Health is rumoured to have penciled down an outsider who is not known as an academic for appointment as the next provost in February 2024 when the tenure of the present provost comes to an end. This is unacceptable to all the academic staff and a major crisis looms which may affect the students.
“The students have vowed to support the academic staff whom they have known all their lives. Unless the cheating and oppression of the academic staff is stopped by appointing one of their own, student unrest is inevitable.
“For about 25 years now the Ministry of Health who plays the supervisory role over the college has been bringing in leadership from outside most of whom are less qualified than the internal lecturers who have spent all their lives in the college. The staff have determined to say enough is enough. This is not a political appointment rather it is one that should be based on merit.”
However, the health commissioner denied the allegation, describing it as baseless as he said due process would be followed in the selection process of the new provost.
He explained that there is a laid down procedure to appoint a provost in line with the law that established the school.
He said it is the governor that appoints a provost, not him.
The commisisoner explained, “Their allegation is baseless, I am not the person to appoint a provost. They too know the procedure and law of the school. The board would make recommendations to me and I will make recommendations to the governor.
“It is the governor that appoints a provost, not me, and the governor can appoint anyone he wishes either from the school or outside the school, according to their law. They too know the law unless they want to be mischievous about the matter. “
