A ‘special appointment’ allegedly given to one Dr. Shina Akintolure, the immediate past President of the Alumni Association of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Oto, Ijanikin, by the management of the institution has sparked controversy.

Akintolure, a Master’s degree holder at the time of his employment, was alleged to have used his position as a member of the Governing Council of AOCOED to ‘fraudulently’ secure an appointment as a ‘Lecturer 1’ instead of ‘Lecturer 3’, which he qualified for by virtue of his academic qualification.

It was learnt that ‘Lecturer 2’ is usually given to a PhD holder, while ‘Lecturer 1’ is given to someone who has worked for some years as ‘Lecturer 2’ with the required number of academic qualifications.

Efforts to get Akintolure’s side of the story were unsuccessful as he hung up the phone when asked to comment on the allegation. A text message that was also sent to him was not responded to.

The Registrar of the institution, Alhaji Shehu Muhideen, was also not willing to make any comment on the issue. Responding to a call put across to him, he said: “I can’t talk to anybody on that issue now please. I am not in a good mood to talk, I just lost a staff member and I am not in the mood to have any interview.”

However, speaking under the condition of anonymity, a senior staff of the institution said Akintolure never applied for any job at AOCOED but was employed on the recommendation of the Chairman of Council, Prof. Tunde Samuel, due to his academic qualification and brilliant performance at meetings.

“I am compelled to write this piece not because I am a supporter of Dr. Shina Akintolure, but because I work in the Personnel Office in AOCOED which is saddled with appointment of staff. People should just stop character assassination in the name of politics. Dr Shina is not even my candidate but posterity will judge if I don’t say a little that I know.

“Whoever cares to listen should note that he never requested to be appointed. Rather, he was appealing that some Alumni members of the college be appointed. Those he begged for are today members of staff. The records are there. It was the Chairman of Council, Prof. Tunde Samuel that said he should be given the job due to his academic qualification and brilliant performance at meetings.

“I am a member of the Appointments and Promotions Committee and Staff Welfare in which he is a member and I see it all. People should just stop saying what they know nothing about. I am one of those that told him to take up the appointment when he rejected it,” the staffer said.

(New Telegraph)

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