A coalition of Civil Society Organisations and National Association of Nigerian Students have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged abuse of office by the Chairman, Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Chief Micheal Oloyo.
They have accordingly urged the President to take immediate action to remove Oloyo as Chairman of the Council before the Polytechnic is plunged into an unmanageable crisis.
The coalition, comprising a League of Civil Society Groups, Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and National Association of Polytechnic Students, alleged that Oloyo is stalling the progress being made in transforming the battered image of the institution.
The petition was signed by Comrade Mohammad Abubakar Gambo, NANS Senate President, Comrade Mohammed Basah, National Coordinator, League of Civil Society, Comrade Odebunmi Idowu, Chairman, NANS anti-corruption committee, Prince Yomi David: National Coordinator, Transparency Advocacy Development Initiative
Comrade Mohammed Eneji: NAPS National President Mukhtar Akoshile and Coordinator Coalition of Civil Societies.
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The petition made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, indicated that the coalition at the end of its roundtable meeting on the way forward in the educational sector, held in Lagos on January 15th, 2019, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to disengage Oloyo following their research of randomly selected institutions and stakeholders, to unravel key reforms that need to be made.
The statement said: “In the course of this patriotic exercise, the Coalition found series of conscious and concerted efforts to stall the progress being made in transforming the battered image of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo state, by no less a personage than the Chairman of Governing Council of the Institution.
“Chief Oloyo has chosen to act true to type with utter disregard for his role in moulding the new generation aright in keeping with the spirit of the quest for national rebirth that Your Excellency has put Nigeria on.
“In his short stint as Council Chairman, he has subjected the Rector to undue pressures to satisfy his insatiable requests for favours of all kinds, such as requests for hundreds of admission slots among others.
“He has also been known to subtly oppose the moves by the Rector to reposition the institution to restore it to past glory,” the coalition said.
The coalition therefore, charged government to immediately remove Mr Oloyo as Chairman of Governing Council, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, as his position is no longer tenable while urging either the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate him for alleged underhand dealings.
While commending His Excellency in anticipation of this usual prompt action, they urged him to appoint a suitably qualified Chairman of Council who will support the genuine efforts to reposition this great institution and our country that your administration has embarked on.
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