Governor AbdulRazaq Suspends Kwara Poly Rector, Orders Probe Of Students Protest

The Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has ordered the suspension of the Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic and also constituted a three-person panel to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the Tuesday’e student protest at the institution in Ilorin.

The constitution of the panel was announced in a statement signed by the commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu.

The committee is headed by the State’s Attorney-general and Commissioner for Justice, Bar. Ibrahim Sulyman.

Other members were the commissioner for Environment, Hon. Nafisat Buge, and the permanent secretary, Service Welfare, Dr. Mercy Olufunke Shittu.

The committee has two weeks to submit its report to the governor, while their terms of reference were to look at the remote and immediate causes of the protest and handling of same, recommend ways to prevent such occurrence in the future and make further recommendations on the growth of the school.

According to the statement, the governor has also directed the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, to immediately step aside from his role until further notice, while the most senior deputy rector should act in his place in the interim.

“The committee will engage with all relevant stakeholders on its assignment,” it added.

LEADERSHIP reports that the governor had on Tuesday ordered the closure of the polytechnic following student protest over the relocation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp to the institution.

The peaceful protest turned violent as the policemen drafted to the institution to control the situation reportedly fired teargas at the protesting students, a development that escalated the tension.