Alleged sexual misconduct: I was sacked over campus politics, says Kelani

Segun Showunmi in Ibadan

A senior lecturer at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at The Polytechnic, Ibadan (TPI), Mr Kelani Ajadi, whose appointment was terminated for his alleged involvement in sexual misconduct, has disclosed that allegations of misconduct led to his termination of appointment were unfounded and a mere campus politics.

Penpushing reports that Ajadi disclosed this on Monday  during an interview in Ibadan,Oyo State Capital, saying that the decision of the institution was based on witch hunting and victimisation.

The former lecturer noted that his travail began in 2014, when he contested for the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) The Polytechnic Ibadan Chapter against the anointed candidate of the then management led by Prof. Olatunde Fawole.

Penpushing further reports that, Ajadi said the situation worsened when he refused to support seemingly corruption and embezzlement going on in the campus then, which led to a series of events that got him dismissed from employment in October, 2017  before he was reinstated having taken the matter to the court of law and won.

The  aggrieved sacked teacher added that in his course of doing his job as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) chairman of the institution he was asked to compromise and since he refused, it became an issue for the management who wants him out of the system at all cost.

“A number of allegations have been levied up against me since I made my stand known to the then management; from alleged  presentation of fake ND certificate, mismanagement of union’s funds to the latest trump up utmost sexual misconduct with an unidentified person, tagged a former student”.

“I have been set up and drugged by one of my students in 2017, who also transferred money from my account to another person and also deleted the exhibits attached to the preliminary objection I deposed to on the case  against the foot soldiers of the management”.

“But the police later arrested her in April, 2019 at Apete after she had already completed her study in 2017, because all along she was shielded by those who sent her on the mission she did’,Ajadi said.

“I contested again in another election of the union in 2016 and won but the management kicked against my re-election and was annulled. I was charged to court again together with National ASUP in 2017 for mismanagement of the union’s fund and ineligibility to re- contest an election’.

“But we won the case also at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. I was represented in the case by Barrister Femi Aborisade. My travail continues and this led to the theft of  my cell phone, which I duly reported at the Police station and sworn affidavit for”.

“Only for me to receive a letter dated on the 5th February, 2019,  to appear before a panel of inquiry on the 12th February, 2019. I only learnt about what that was when I got to the venue of the panel.

“I was asked to identify a recorded voice and then I was alleged of a sexual misconduct (inappropriate relationship) with a former student. And that the recording was aired on a radio station on the 7th February, 2019″. It is rather ridiculous for anybody else including a radio presenter to have linked me with a case of sex scandal”.

“But the recording was not aired until a day after I was served with a letter to appear before the panel. I told them that the voice is not mine and I asked for the complainant, the said woman in the recording and any petition from any law enforcement agent concerning the criminal act against me’.

“There was neither a petition nor a report from anybody or any law enforcement agent of any crime against me up until today. I later found out that there was no face nor a name to the person said to have been raped or harassed sexually but it was being masterminded to serve as a reprimand by some people who wanted me out of the system by all means possible.” he said.

Penpushing reports that, Ajadi said in consultation with his lawyer, he honoured all the invitations to appear before panels and a Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee (SSDC) set up to inquire about the matter.

The sacked lecturer noted that even one of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee (SSDC) recommended that he would only be demoted provided he (Ajadi) would be ready to withdraw the case already in court of law against the lady that drugged him.

“I faulted the Dr. Ayelari’s committee and I refused to answer their enquiries until it was reconstituted because the composition of its members included three people who would not give me fair hearing and let justice prevail”.

“In its recommendations the  committee said I should be compulsorily be retired  without following due process, fair hearing and diligence to unravel the issue. Another committee, Dr. J. A. Adebisi, was set up in April, 2019, which did justice to the whole issue and established that there was no lady that reported any case of sexual harassment, rape or embarrassment neither was I the one that was the offender in the whole matter of tarnishing the name and the image of the institution. The committee exonerated me from all allegations,” Ajadi said.

Penpushing further reports that,he said he was surprised to have received a letter of Termination of Appointment on the 17th of Sept, 2020 in a matter where he has been cleared of all allegations.

Penpushing also reports that Ajadi alleged that the present institution’s management also wants him out of the system because he knows so much already and could be a threat to them having a good knowledge of various mismanagement going on in the institution.

“The School Management was apparently desperate to terminate my appointment hence their final  decision was contrary to all findings and recommendations of legitimate panels and Committees engaged to investigate the matter in question.

“In other words all the allegations against me are not grounds on which the institution can terminate my appointment  because they are not stated as amounting to misconduct according to the Edict and Staff Handbook of The Polytechnic, Ibadan,” he said.

Penpushing recalled that the management of the institution in a release signed by the Registrar of the institution, Mrs Modupe Fawale on the 19th of October, 2020 said it has terminated the appointment of its lecturer, Kelani Ojo  Omotoso Ajadi over alleged sexual misconduct with an ex student of the institution

The management claimed that the lecturer, from the department of Urban and Regional Planning, was sacked for allegedly embarrassing and tarnishing the image of the institution.