On Tuesday, the Federal Polytechnic, Ede in Osun State, announced with immediate closure the closure of the school.
Before the closure, the school’s second semester exam was planned for next week’s Monday.
The Registrar, O.A Ogunleye, declared that the decision was made after a meeting of the academic board convened on the same day, according to an internal memorandum received by journalists.
“The Academic board at its 202 regular meeting held on Tuesday 10thSeptember, 2019, directed that the students should proceed on mid second semester break…”
The school will be reopened on Wednesday, 25 September.
The closure came in the midst of student protests to prevent any plan to rusticate President Lukman Rufai of the Students ‘ Union.
The union leader presently faces a panel for alleged harassment of a lecturer and disrespect ‘to constituted authorities’.
Mr Rufai ordered the deflation of the tyres of a vehicle belonging to a lecturer named Francis Adeoye on 29 July, claiming that he had breached a ‘No Parking’ order.
The order was put to prevent the instances of recurrent crashes that occurred on that road, according to him.
It was found that the chairman of the school’s Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Nurudeen Masopa, intervened but the student leader maintained that if the order was violated, the car of anyone, regardless of the cadre, would be deflated.
According to a witness, Mr Masopa was bitter because “the president failed to show remorse”.
The issue was reported to the polytechnic authorities, who reportedly found the act to be disrespectful.
Mr Rufai was summoned by the ad hoc committee set up to investigate the case.
The committee suggested issuing a warning to Messrs Rufai and Masopa, which was conveyed in a letter dated 22 August.
Mr. Rufai was warned against disrespectful acts.
“The management committee at its meeting held on Wednesday 14th of August 2019, deliberated on the report of the committee that investigated the allegation of harassment leveled against you and resolved that you should be warned to desist from acts of disrespect to constituted authority,” the letter to Mr Rufai, obtained by reporters read in part.
A senior official, familiar with the situation but seeking anonymity, said the Polytechnic’s rector “condemned the act and instructed that Mr Rufai be warned instead of being sanctioned”.
However, ASUP allegedly did not accept the judgment, “who saw the pardon as a slap on the face of its member”.
If Mr Rufai did not appear before the statutory commission saddled with the obligation of hearing such instances, the union threatened to withdraw its services from the polytechnic.
The union wrote to the polytechnic officials in a letter dated September 2, claiming that there was also no reaction from the Student Disciplinary Committee.
However, before a protest broke out, the report of the statutory committee was anticipated to be read on Tuesday.
In a telephone interview on Tuesday evening, Mr Rufai said “the lecturers’ union wanted to intimidate him because of his moves to curb sexual harassment against female students by lecturers”.
He insisted that after the first panel gave a report and he was served a warning letter, the rift was a baseless premise for his sanction.
Mr Masopa, chairman of ASUP, also spoke to reporters on Tuesday night about the resident students ‘ high handness.
He added that the school management backed him (Rufai) “because the rector is his financier”.
The official said the union expected the statutory commission to handle the issue.
He stated that the union never requested the rustication of the students ‘ union officer as it is prepared to comply with the students ‘ disciplinary committee’s inquiry result.
“If they are saying we demanded for a punishment, tell them to show you a document that suggests that. We have never stated it in any of our letters,” he said.
“We have decided to withdraw our services because we don’t feel safe in this environment.”
He added that it would have been a different case “if the president was remorseful rather than the scheme being used by the management to shield him. All we want is justice”.
Meanwhile, when journalists reached out on Tuesday night, Dean of Student Affairs, Isiaka Adelabu, declined to comment.
He said “his comments will be prejudicial and that the school awaits the recommendation of the new panel”.
He also failed to answer Mr Masopa’s allegations against the management.