Employees of Tai Solarin College Of Education (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, have passed a vote of no confidence on the Provost of the College, Dr. Lukmon Adeola Kiadese.
They also asked him to voluntarily resign his appointment as the college for acts carpeted as gross incompetence in handling the crisis in the institution.
These were part of the resolutions passed by the Coalition Staff Union of the College (COTAS), headed by Mr. Daniel Aborisade, while briefing journalists of the outcome of its meeting with the new Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP, Bashir Dabup Makama, held at College Auditorium and Degree Conference, Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State.
He said the CP had met with members of warring groups to broker a truce between workers and the institution’s management for the last two and half years, noting that the coalition has resolved to ask the Provost to throw in the towel as he could not handle the crisis of the institution.
He said that the brewing crisis started two and half years ago, when the Provost resumed office with the promise to find lasting solutions to the crisis that engulfed the institution, which ranged from the unpaid salaries, salary arrears, unremitted pension, unremitted cooperative deductions and promotion arrears.
While staging a walk protest to Area Command Igbeba, Ijebu-Ode, the coalition was chanting solidarity songs with placards with inscription ‘Police Is our Friends,’ ‘Kiadese Must go,’ ‘Enough Is Enough,”Dr. Kiadese, It is time to Go,’ with many others, noting that the matter was internal wrangling that could be solved administratively.
Against the backdrop of sending police to arrest its members by the Provost, Aborisade asked the Nigerian Police to stay clear from the matter as the issue was between the Ogun State government, college’s Provost and the entire management, who according to him are demanding for the resignation of the Provost as he could not administer the institution.
He said: “As you see all of us trooped out today in peaceful demonstration and protest, nobody is after the Provost of the College (Dr. Lukmon Adeola Kiadese), but it seems that the burden of the institution is beyond what he can solve and it is better for him to resign honourably instead of allowing it to continue to fester and turning into rancour, chaos and maiming of our members.”
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP, Bashir Dabup Makama has appealed to all members of staff to sheath their sword and allow peace to reign in the college in the interest of their students and management both academic and non-academic staffs.
Makama said it was good to press for their demand, but, such must be done in a peaceful atmosphere, assuring them that no members of their Union would be arrested, molested or maimed by any police officers under his watch.