Dr. Shina Akintolure
Controversy Trails Lecturer’s ‘Special Appointment’ At AOCOED
A ‘special appointment’ allegedly given to one, Dr. Shina Akintolure, the immediate past President of the Alumni Association of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Oto, Ijanikin, Lagos State, by the management of the institution has sparked controversy.
Akintolure, a Masters degree holder at the time of his employment was alleged to have used his position as a member of the School’s Governing Council to ‘fraudulently’ secure an appointment as a ‘Lecturer 1’ instead of ‘Lecturer 3’, which he qualified for by virtue of his academic qualification.
It was gathered that ‘Lecturer 2’ is usually given to a PhD holder, while ‘Lecturer 1’ is given to someone who has worked for some years as ‘Lecturer 2’ with required number of academic qualifications.
Move to get the reaction of the school on the matter did not yield fruitful result, as the institution’s Registrar, Alhaji Shehu Muhideen, was also not willing to make any comment on the issue.
Responding to a call put across to him, he said: “I can’t talk to anybody on that issue now please. I am not in a good mood to talk, I just lost a staff and I am not in the mood to have any interview.
However, a Senior staff of the school, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said: “Akintolure never applied for any job at AOCOED but was employed on the recommendation of the Chairman of Council, Prof. Tunde Samuel, due to his academic qualification and brilliant performance at meetings.
“I am compelled to write this piece not because I am a supporter of Dr. Shina Akintolure, but because I work in Personnel Office in AOCOED which is saddled with appointment of staff. People should just stop character assassination in the name of politics. Dr Shina is not even my candidate but posterity will judge if I don’t say a little that I know.
“Whoever cares to listen should note that he never requested to be appointed. Rather, he was appealing that some Alumni members of the college be appointed. Those he begged for are today members of staff. The records are there. It was the Chairman of Council, Prof. Tunde Samuel, that said he should be given job due to his academic qualification and brilliant performance at meetings.
“I am in charge of Appointments and Promotions Committee and Staff Welfare in which he is a member and I see it all. People should just stop saying what they know nothing about. I am one of those that told him to take up the appointment when he rejected it”, the staff said.
However, all efforts to get Akintolure’s side of the story were unsuccessful, as he hung up the phone when asked to comment on the allegation, while a text message that was also sent to him was not responded to.