A pro-democracy group, the People’s Voice Advocacy Network (PVAN) has called on the Kwara State government to provide a public update on the three-member committee set up to investigate the recent student protest at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.
In a statement issued on Monday by its Director of strategic communication, Comr. Yusuf Eniola Obe, the group expressed concern that more than three weeks after the committee was inaugurated, there has been no official communication regarding the outcome of its assignment.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had, on January 21, constituted the committee and given it two weeks to submit its findings on the circumstances surrounding the protest. The deadline has since elapsed without any public disclosure on whether the panel has concluded its work or submitted its report.
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The organisation said transparency and accountability require that concerned stakeholders and the general public be informed about the status of the investigation, especially given the tension and uncertainty that followed the protest.
“The students, their parents, staff members, and the general public deserve to know whether the committee has submitted its report and what steps the government intends to take based on its findings,” the statement read.
The group also raised concerns over the leadership situation at the institution. Following the protest, the governor directed the Rector, Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, to step aside from his duties pending the outcome of the investigation and instructed the most senior Deputy Rector to oversee the affairs of the institution.
However, PVAN noted that there have been online reports over the past few days suggesting the possible appointment of a new Rector for the Polytechnic, which it said have generated additional confusion.
“We, therefore, request clarification from the state government on whether a new Rector has been appointed and what the current status of Dr. Jimoh is,” the group stated.
According to PVAN, clarity on the matter is necessary to ensure due process and institutional stability at the Polytechnic.
The group further emphasised that its demand for clarification is not adversarial but rooted in the interest of the students, staff of the institution, and the general public.
