The Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic Ayede, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fairness, and merit in the recent appointment of new principal officers.

The Council, which appointed the institution’s Deputy Rector (Academic), Dr Azeez Olasunkanmi Ojo, as Acting Rector, Bukola Elizabeth Dairo as Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Oluseyi Abiola Afolabi as Bursar and Dare Samuel Adeleke as Acting Polytechnic Librarian, noted that the exercise was conducted in strict compliance with the Polytechnic Act and in line with the guidelines of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

It said that the selection process attracted overwhelming interest, with over 104 qualified applicants contesting for the positions.
The institution’s Acting Director of the Centre for Information, Communication and Public Relations, Sunday Adepoju, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of Council, Yakubu Dati, emphasised the diligence and responsibility demonstrated by the Governing Council.

“The Council thoroughly reviewed all applications, conducted interviews, and administered computer-based examinations, through which it identified the most competent candidates for the positions,” he said.

Adepoju further noted that in line with the federal character principle, the appointments reflect balanced national representation, with the Registrar emerging from Ogun State and the Bursar from Oyo State.

He said that the Council also considered the capacity of applicants to attract the much-needed private investment to reduce reliance on government in a renewed drive to make the institution self-sustaining.

Adepoju, while addressing concerns in some quarters regarding the emergence of candidates from the university system, stressed that such developments are neither unusual nor a barrier in the Nigerian higher education system.

He cited several precedents to reinforce this position.

Adepoju, who reiterated that the Council’s process was transparent, credible, and merit-driven, assured stakeholders that the best candidates emerged from the highly competitive exercise.

He acknowledged that exercises of such magnitude might naturally generate diverse opinions but maintained that the integrity of the process remains unquestionable.