Youths in Ogun State have urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to pick the next Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, from Ogun West.

MAPOLY has remained without a substantive head since the appointment of its former Rector, Dr Samson Odedina, as the State Commissioner for Agriculture in 2019.

At the moment, the polytechnic is being run by Dr Adeoye Odedeji, in acting capacity.

It was learnt that the Ogun State Government is yet to decide on who the next Rector would be, even as interested parties lobby Gov Abiodun’s allies to have their candidates appointed.

But the youths, under the aegis of the Ogun Youth Advocates (OYA) said: “It will be unfair if the next Rector of MAPOLY does not come from Ogun West.”

According to the group, since the creation of MAPOLY, nobody from Ogun West has been appointed as Rector.

In a statement made available to newsmen by OYA President, Ade Adeyemi, both Ogun Central and Ogun East have produced Rectors for the first government-owned polytechnic at different times.

Adeyemi said the polytechnic had produced no fewer than eight Rectors since inception, saying “six were from Ogun Central (Egba) and two were from Ogun East (Ijebu/Remo).”

“Since the creation of MAPOLY in 1979, eight Rectors have been appointed by previous governments. Six of the Rectors were from Egba and the remaining two were from Ijebu/Remo. It is only Yewa/Awori that has not produced a Rector of the institution,” he said.

Going down memory lane, OYA listed the previous Rectors of the polytechnic as Dr Tunji Sonola from Ake Abeokuta; Dr Adebisi Adebayo from Igbore, Abeokuta; Dr Kehinde Jibodu from Remo; Alhaji Waheed Kadiri from Ijaye, Abeokuta and Arc.Tokunbo Fowode from Ijebu-Ode.

“Others are Prof. Oludele Itiola from Owu, Abeokuta; Mr Ayodeji Tela from Gbagura, Abeokuta; and Dr Samson Odedina from Ilogbo, Abeokuta.

“The incumbent will be the first to come from Yewa extraction and in an acting capacity, since 6th December, 2019.

“Yewa/Awori has been sidelined in many ways in this state and this should not continue.

“For fairness, equity and equality, a Yewa/Awori man should be allowed to head MAPOLY this time since 1979.

“We hereby call on Gov Dapo Abiodun to right this wrong and write his name in the annal of history by confirming the present Acting Rector as the substantive Rector of MAPOLY.

“It is noteworthy that Odedeji was one of the candidates who participated in an interview conducted by the state government for candidates seeking to be the next head of the polytechnic. The governor should kindly consider him for the job. This is for fairness and continuity.

“Gov Abiodun should not succumb to pressure from those seeking to short change Ogun West,” the statement read in part.