Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, has directed the Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, Engr. Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, to step aside with immediate effect.
The decision follows a protest by students over the use of the institution’s facilities as a temporary orientation camp for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, the governor also announced the constitution of a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the protest.
Pending the outcome of the investigation, the rector has been instructed to hand over duties to the most senior deputy rector.
The three-member panel will be chaired by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Bar. Senior Ibrahim Sulyman. Other members include the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Nafisat Buge, and the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare, Dr. Mrs Mercy Olufunke Shittu.
According to the statement, the committee has two weeks to examine the immediate and underlying causes of the protest, assess how it was handled, recommend measures to prevent a recurrence, and make proposals to support the growth and stability of the institution.