To ensure justice, equity and fair play in power distribution among the three senatorial districts of Kwara state, a socio-cultural organisation under the aegis of Kwara South Consultative Forum has called on Governor AbdulRahman AbdukRazak to appoint most senior Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Malete (KWASU) as Acting VC, pending the appointment of a substantive VC.
The substantive VC to be appointed, the group said, should come from either Kwara North or Kwara South because the outgoing VC, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, who hails from Kwara Central, had spent 10 consecutive years on the post.
The group decried lopsidedness in appointments to key positions in the university and other places in the state over the years which, they noted, had been skewed in favour of Kwara Central to the detriment of the other two senatorial districts. Time to make a redress is now, said the group.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin, the state capital, the group of elder statesmen, led by Chief Joseph Aderibigbe, who was the pioneer Secretary to the State Government in Kwara state, admonished indigenes of the three senatorial districts to live together in peace and allow fairness and the fear of God to rule their mindsets.
The group, which alleged that there was gross marginalisation in appointments, particularly against the Kwara south senatorial district, lamented that Kwara Central senatorial district had been in power for several years at the expense of other two senatorial districts.
The group said: “The Kwara central senatorial district should recognise that every district like every man has a right to be treated as a district equal in opportunity to be enjoyed and treated fairly, justly and equitably.
“Specifically, when two vacancies of the Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor existed in KWASU, the two positions were again filled by persons from Kwara Central which the IEDPU represents. Unfortunately, the then governor ignored Kwara South Consultative Forum’s complaint over the anomaly.
“KWASU belongs to all Kwarans who are responsible for the maintenance of the institution. For that matter, every local government makes monthly financial contributions towards the sustenance of KWASU. Unfortunately, over the years only Kwara Central indigenes were in control of the state administration whereas key positions are expected to be spread among the three senatorial districts of the state. The fact that other senatorial districts kept quiet over the years does not mean that we are oblivious of our rights.”
The group also disagreed with the assertion by the IEDPU to the effect that a policy has been in place to appoint indigenes of a particular area as heads of institutions sited in their domains.
“The question that comes to mind is, who made that policy and what were the objectives thereof? We hasten to say that, that policy does not exist and it is self serving and retrogressive.
“We recollect that indigenes of Ilorin emirate had at one time or the other headed institutions outside their domain without anybody raising any eyebrows,” the group added.
