Federal Poly, Ede: Rector, Lecturer Trade Words Over Suspension

The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, Dr Adekolawole Edaogbogun has been threatened with a lawsuit by a senior academic staff member in the institution, Matthew Omolade, for suspending him over “unsubstantiated allegation” of plagiarism.

Omolade in a letter forwarded through his lawyer, Soji Oyetayo, to the Registrar of the institution, Tunji Agboola, noted that the allegation levelled against his client has not been proved.

Oyetayo further stated that the decision to suspend him is a plot to punish him for an undisclosed offence.

The rector was also accused by the lecturer of appointing his son, Mr Goodness Edaogbogun, without approval by the governing council as a lecturer.

According to him, only the Governing Council was empowered to punish, terminate or issue any letter of interdiction after a fair hearing.

He called for the suspension to be reversed or he would approach the court for redress.

The Deputy Rector Administration of the polytechnic, Isiaq Adelabu, while reacting on behalf of the rector, noted that the external assessor discovered that Omolade plagiarised in his work and subjected the work to further scrutiny.

Adelabu said, “When the external assessor alleged that he (Omolade) plagiarised, the assessor went ahead and printed the document he plagiarised and subjected it to an application that checks the percentage of plagiarism and it came out to be 100 per cent plagiarised.”

“An investigative committee was commissioned to give him a fair hearing. He was invited and a series of questions were asked. After the investigation, it was revealed that three of his papers were 100 per cent plagiarised.”

“It was the recommendation of that committee that was sent to the management and because of COVID-19, the council is not around. It was at that point that the management took the decision to suspend him pending the time the council would meet and make the decision on the report of the investigation committee.”

On the employment of the rector’s son, Adelabu said Goodness Edaogbogun was qualified for the appointment offered to him by the institution because he already had master’s degree when he was employed.