By: Adebisi Joy.
The Kogi State Ministry of health two weeks ago in a letter signed by Alhaji Akowe A. A. on behalf of the Honourable commissioner served the Mr. T.K Ayinmodu, the provost of the college who has just completed his first term of office on the 15th of July, 2016 and eligible t o the second term if he so indicate interest.
Alh. Akowe in the letter has directed Mr. Ihinmodu should immediately proceed on Annual Leave to pave way for one of his deputies to hold forth.
According to our source, the immediate past provost of the college, Alh. Yahaya Salawudeen form the central flank of the state, who is presently serving as the principal of College of Nursing Ochadamu, occupied same office for 13 years before handing over to Mr. Ihinmodu who is from the western part of the state in 15th July, 2012.
According to the law establishing the institution, Part IV paragraph (F), specified that The Provost shall be appointed by the governor on the recommendation of the council and shall hold office for such a period of four years and shall be eligible for another and final term of four years.
It has been alleged that Alh. Yahaya Salawudeen is the perpetrator of this act in an attempt to marginalize the Okun man who by the virtue of the Law that founded the institution has a right to a second term, by wanting to have an Ebira person to take over.
When our reporters visited the institution last week, Mr. Ayinmodu said that he received a letter from Kogi State Ministry of Health dated 15/July, 2016 with the heading RE: EXPIRATION OF THE TENURE OF MR. T.K. AYINMODU AS PROVOST COLLEGE OF HURSING OBANGEDE signed by on Alh. Akowe A.A. on behalf of the honourable commissioner of the state ministry of health asking him to handover to one Mrs. Abraham Hannah, the Deputy Provost Admin, who is equally an Ebira woman.
He stated the his letter of appointment on a first term of four years was with effect from 15/07/2012 vide letter No: S/GO/KGS/ADM/2014/121. and following the provision of the law that established the institution, he is entitled to another tenure of four years and that he has indicated interest by forwarding a letter of interest to the ministry which according to him is dated 8/7/2016.
I wish to point out that the 1st term expired on 15/07/2016 as against the 15/07/2015 as stated in the letter served on him he equally said that his deputies who were appointed on 19/02/2014 on a 1st term of two years, subject to renewal for another 2 years, had their 1st term appointments expired since 19/02/2016 and yet to be renewed.
Mr. Ayinmodu expressed surprise when the caretaker Administrator of Okehi local government came with police men and some youth (believed to be hired thugs), seeking to force him to handover as if the letter was pre-arranged.
Mr. Ayinmodu also said that as much as he is willing to hand over, he is of the opinion that it would be inappropriate for him to hand over to a deputy whose tenure long expired and yet to be renewed.
In his opinion, he finds it expedient, legal and appropriate to hand over to the Registrar of the college, the Secretary to the Council of the college, the Secretary to the Academic Unit of the college and whose term is subsisting.
He believes in the new direction policy of His Excellency, Gov. Yahata Bello who believes in equity, justice and fairness to wage into this unfair treatment of the Okun race in the institution.
