The Management of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, has dismissed recent claims by Hon. Rotimi Makinde over his removal from the institution’s Governing Council, describing the allegations as misleading and a misrepresentation of the facts.
Makinde, a former member of the House of Representatives, had insinuated in a news report that his substitution was the fallout of an “ego clash” with some internal stakeholders of the Polytechnic.
However, in a rebuttal issued by the institution’s Head of Public Relations, Mrs. Esther Oyinloye, the Polytechnic clarified that the decision was purely administrative and devoid of any political or personal undertones.
According to the statement, Hon. Makinde’s removal stemmed from his failure to attend the official inauguration of Council members in July 2024. The ceremony, the institution says, was not ceremonial but marked the formal commencement of duties for appointees.
In addition to his absence, the statement noted that Makinde did not complete the mandatory documentation, including collecting his appointment letter, a key step in formalizing his role.
“These steps were uniformly applied to all appointees and are standard procedure. Despite ample time and opportunity, Hon. Makinde did not fulfill these obligations for over a year following his appointment,” the statement reads.
The Polytechnic said no formal communication was received from Makinde to explain or justify his delay, leading the Federal Ministry of Education and the Presidency to reasonably assume that he had opted not to proceed with the assignment.
Consequently, his replacement, like in similar cases across other federal tertiary institutions, was authorized by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who retains the constitutional power to appoint or substitute members of Governing Councils.
The Polytechnic stressed that the process followed in Makinde’s case was not peculiar or targeted, but part of a broader adherence to due process.
“The suggestion of political interference or institutional ‘ego clash’ is unfounded,” the institution stated.
While acknowledging Hon. Makinde’s prior contributions during his brief engagement with the institution, the Polytechnic maintained that it will not allow misinformation to distract from its core mandate of academic excellence.
“Federal Polytechnic, Offa remains steadfast in its commitment to due process and to fostering an environment of institutional accountability,” the statement concluded.
