Kwara Gov’s Aide Accused of Aiding KWASU VC Appointment Crisis “I Remain Loyal”, says Akanbi Lamidi

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Hon. Lamidi Akanbi, declares his loyalty to Gov. Abdulfatai’s administration
Kwara State governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed

Hon. Akanbi Lamidi, a special assistant to Kwara State governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed, has denied having a hand in a protest that rocked the state-owned Kwara State University (KWASU) following the appointment by the governor of Prof. Kenneth Adeyemi as the  acting Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

 

Hon. Akanbi was reportedly accused of disloyalty by supporting those that objected to Adeyemi’s appointment and that he helped in promoting the crisis, an allegation Akanbi described as untrue while he restated his unalloyed loyalty to the governor and the state government.

 

In a statement made available to the media immediately after the story spread, Hon. Akanbi wrote;

 

“My attention has been drawn to an online publication with the headline ‘ Kwasu Unrest’. I Akanbi Lamidi , the Special Assistant on Recreational Affairs to the Executive Governor of Kwara State has no hand,  interest or involvement in the crisis at  KWASU .  I wish to assure families, friends, associates and the general public that the said publication was concocted to tarnish my hard -earned image and reputation and cause rift between me and my principal, His Excellency, Dr. Abdul fatah Ahmed and the  government of Kwara State. As a former SA Students Affairs to the Executive Governor, I had a good working relationship with the students and made several remarkable achievements including the reduction of KWASU school fees by 50%, the laying of the foundation stone that  marked the start of the main construction works of the Faculty of  Engineering  building,  Malete, the  KWASU Osi and Ilesa-Baruba Campuses.

For the avoidance of doubt, as a serving Special Assistant to the Governor, I cannot  in anyway have reservations about  the choice  of the Acting Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Malete, cognizant that the said appointment does not fall within the purview of my schedule as SA Recreational Affairs.  The bitter truth was that my PA (Comrade Bashir Adetumbi Lawal)  was arrested by the police during the protest and that does not in anyway represent my person.  As a loyal and serving government appointee,  it is pertinent to state unequivocally that I am a loyal member of the PDP  and  would not, therefore,  do anything to jeopardize or sabotage the good work of His Excellency, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed.”

 

Meanwhile, the KWASU governing council has disassociated itself from Adeyemi’s appointment.

 

According to the Council in a press statement signed by its chairman, Professor Saka Nuru; “we hereby dissociates itself from the recent appointment of Prof. Kenneth S. Adeyemi as the acting Vice-Chancellor of KWASU and  the directive that the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed NaAllah should proceed on terminal leave while he is yet to complete his tenure which expires on 27th July, 2019.

This directive is not in tune with the University’s law and is going to lead to distraction from the Rain Semester examination and the process appointment of principal officers that are currently in progress.

This action of the state Government is illegal and the Governing Council of KWASU has no hand in the directive.

 

-Akinlolu Abayomi