From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi has warned Nigerians against trading competence for nepotism and tribalism in the selection of persons for appointment.
The monarch, who is also the Chairman of the State Traditional Council, emphasised that appointment should not be based on where you come from, but competence and integrity.
He stated this during the send-forth ceremony of the immediate past Rector of the Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Dr Isaiah Oyeyinka.
Oba Ajayi noted that in as much as people are free to push for appointment of an indigene to head any establishment, such candidate must be competent to do the job.
He said shortly after he had ascended the throne in December 2017, he was inundated with complaints and demands for Oyeyinka’s removal because he is not an indigene of Remoland.
“For me, I listen but I take my time to react. So, I decided to talk to him (Oyeyinka). He then told me to come and see the institution myself. The day I visited the school, I was surprised. I could see the orderliness, sanity and the arrangement,” Oba Ajayi said.
The monarch disclosed that after his visit to the institution he was convinced that Oyeyinka, an Egbaman, had turned the polytechnic around for good.
He said, “And honestly, a lesson to be learnt in this country is that it is not every time that a person who would turn around an establishment must be an indigene of that particular area.
“Therefore, I want to urge our people instead of us to be insisting that certain appointments should be given to an indigene, we must first of all look out for competent sons and daughters of the land, but if you can’t find such, anyone from anywhere that’s capable should be made to do the job.
“I am very proud of you, I am extremely happy with you. All I have for you is prayer. May God keep you, guide you and more importantly the mercy of God will be with you and your family at all times”.
In his remarks, former Political Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Biyi Adeleye, saluted the immediate past Rector “for his tremendous achievements” in the polytechnic.
Responding, Oyeyinka said “Over the past eight years, we have demonstrated our capacity to inculcate the culture of neatness, hard work, academic excellence, excellent infrastructural development and above all, we tried to inculcate culture of excellent human development and personality transformation.”
He described the institution as the neatest and fastest growing in Nigeria.