Kwara Poly Allegedly Sacks Seven Workers Over Political Affiliations * School’s PRO Refutes Claim of Sacking Staff over Political Affiliations with Opposition
By Omowumi Omotosho
The management of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, allegedly dismissed seven staff members, purportedly due to their political affiliations. This development has sparked widespread controversy within the institution and across Kwara State.
According to findings by National Pilot, six of the affected staff members are from Ilorin, Kwara Central, while one hails from Kwara South. The circumstances surrounding their dismissal remain unclear, but a close relative to one of the dismissed staff, Abdulqadri Abdulganiy in a post made on his Facebook page on Monday alleged that the dismissal of the seven staff might have been influenced by a perceived political affiliation with “opposition”.
“I am writing with a heavy heart to express my outrage and disappointment over the unjust termination of the appointment of my brother, Nafiu Toyin Abdulqadri, from his position as a lecturer at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. This egregious act, perpetrated by the Kwara State government, is a stark reminder of the dangers of partisan politics and the blatant disregard for the rights of citizens.
“Abdulqadri received his employment letter on August 08, 2024, and was served a disengagement letter on December 17, 2024. No offence was stated to have been committed. It only read: ‘Your service is no longer needed.’ That was as low and uncivil as the actors could go to please Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, under whose administration the state institution is being used to settle political scores.
“My brother’s employment was abruptly terminated, merely months after he was hired, due to his alleged affiliation with the opposition party. This baseless accusation was levelled by an appointee of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who compiled a list of staff members to be sacked, with my brother’s name at the top,” Abdulqadir wrote.
He further highlighted his brother’s qualifications, stating: “It must be stated that Abdulqadri, a graduate of the University of Ilorin, holder of a master’s degree in the field of Sociology, and currently a registered PhD student of the Better By Far #BetterByFar University, was employed solely on merit. The versatile son of the Ilorin Emirate is well-read and has academic publications, both national and international.”
He also criticized the rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Jimoh Abdul, for allegedly succumbing to political pressure: “It is quite untoward that the Rector of the Polytechnic, instead of upholding the principles of fairness and justice, succumbed to gratuitous pressure and threw professionalism to the wind by serving my brother and others on the list with dismissal letters. This callous act is a betrayal of the trust placed in a public institution and a blatant disregard for the rights of the affected staff members
“The implications of this action are far-reaching and ominous. If Kwarans can be treated in such a manner in their own state, what fate awaits non-Kwarans and residents? Again, if such evil is allowed, what fate awaits individuals who are, in one way or another, associated with opposition figures in the future? Apparently, it is hard to rule out a reprisal act from any ruling government. Indeed, this is doom staring us in the face. This must be condemned in its entirety and rejected at all costs.
“Since the perpetration of this unimaginable act, several questions flooded my mind. How can one’s perceived affiliation with an opposition justify the loss of livelihood? Is Kwara Polytechnic a government institution or a property of a political party? Will the management of Kwara Polytechnic, led by the Rector, Dr Jimoh Abdul be proud of such a malicious blunder? Will Mallam AbdulRazaq be proud that such an ignoble act took place under his watch as Governor? Will the soul of Abdulqadri and others, as well as their dependents/families, ever forgive or bless those involved in this monstrosity?” he stated.
Abdulqadir therefore called for immediate intervention, stating: “I implore well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and rescue the future of Kwara State from those who do not have its best interests at heart. I call on royal fathers, spiritual leaders, community, and township associations to speak out against this injustice and demand a reversal of this unfair decision. Else, it will go down as one of the darkest moments in the annals of Kwara State.”
When National Pilot contacted Abdulqadri Abdulganiy via a phone call on Monday night. He confirmed that his brother, Nafiu Toyin Abdulqadri was sacked few months after he was offered an appointment as a lecturer in Kwara State Polytechnic.
He futher declared that: ” few months ago many people were recruited into Kwara Poly. But recently, some of them were disengaged without clear explanation, while the rest are still engaged with the institution.”
The controversy continues to spark public discourse, as a Kwara-based pro-democracy group, People’s Voice Advocacy Network (PVAN), in a statement issued on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Olatunji Obe, described the dismissal of the seven Kwara state Polytechnic staff as “politically motivated, callous, reprehensible, and unacceptable,” calling for the immediate reinstatement of the affected workers.
“Our findings revealed that six of the dismissed workers are from Ilorin, Kwara Central, while the other person hails from Kwara South, and no concrete reason was given for their sacking other than ‘their service is no longer needed,’” said Comrade Yusuf Olatunji Obe, PVAN’s Publicity Secretary.
The group accused an aide to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of orchestrating the dismissals, stating: “We also have credible reports that their dismissal was orchestrated
by an aide of the Governor, who compiled and submitted the names of the affected workers. Such actions represent an alarming misuse
of state power and resources to intimidate and silence dissenting voices, contrary to the principles of fairness, equity, and freedom of association enshrined in our constitution.
“While we believe that Governor Adbulrazaq Abdulrazaq cannot feign ignorance of this ugly and appalling development, we still will give him
the benefit of the doubt. But we wish to remind him that as the Chief Executive of Kwara State, he bears ultimate responsibility for the actions
of his aides and appointees. By allowing such political persecution to occur under him, his administration is setting a dangerous precedent that undermines democracy and workers’ rights.
“It is important we remind those in power that under the laws of Nigeria, workers, like other citizens, have the right to opinion and choice of
association or affiliation, and no one has the powers to molest or threaten them in the exercise of such rights.”
PVAN therefore demanded for immediate action, stating: “As the voice of the people, we demand the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of the dismissed workers and call on the Governor to publicly disassociate himself from this oppressive act carried out by his personal aide. Furthermore, we urge him to take decisive action against those responsible for this shameful display of political intimidation.”
The group further cautioned against the dangerous precedent this action could set.
“All the individuals behind this vile and vindictive action must be reminded about the ephemeral nature of power and authority. We urge them to tread with caution and desist from sowing the seeds of discord among Kwarans. This action does not speak well of our dear State of Harmony,” the group stated.
Meanwhile, when National Pilot contacted the spokesperson for Kwara state Polytechnic, Mrs Garba Haleemah, she refuted the claim that the institution disengaged seven workers because of thier alleged political affiliations.
“The staff were not sacked based on political affiliations. We are working on a rejoinder to make the position of the school clear to the public,” he said.
