Kwara Polytechnic: Awolola Olabisi’s Appointment As Acting Rector And The Intriguing Rumours

Dr Awolola Felicia Olabisi, who was until last week Friday officially recognized as Deputy Rector (Administration), Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, has been appointed as Acting Rector of the institution.

Recall that tension was high at the institution last month after students scuffled with the police and the polytechnic was consequently shut down.

 Students at the polytechnic had objected to the use of the institution’s campus as a temporary orientation camp for new members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the protest had left the Chief Security Officer of the polytechnic injured.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had two days later announced the setting up of a 3-member investigation committee that will look into the issue and identify the remote and immediate causes of the student protest in question.

The committee was given two weeks to submit its report while the Rector of the Polytechnic, Engineer Abdul Jimoh Mohammed was asked to ‘immediately step aside’ from his role ‘until further notice’, while the most senior Deputy Rector acts in his place in the interim.

It was a development that showed that no one knows what the future holds for Engineer Abdul Jimoh Mohammed.

The state government had shown commitment to having an ‘investigation report’ that will earn highest level of reliability and dependability by not only asking the Rector of the polytechnic to step aside but also ensuring that the head of the parent ministry, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu is not a member of the investigation committee.

The committee is headed by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Senior Ibrahim Sulyman with Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Nafisat Buge and the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare, Dr. Mrs. Mercy Olufunke Shittu as members.

Members of the public are looking forward to having the ‘investigation report’ that will either absolve the suspended Rector of blame or declare him culpable and thereby justify his sack or reinstatement.

Engineer Abdul Jimoh Mohammed currently faces an uncertain fate, although, he must have gotten busy making needed efforts to pull down every thick cloud of uncertainty since getting suspended last month, with the development recorded on Friday however, it is difficult to foresee future outcomes.

Sources said Dr Awolola Felicia Olabisi received a letter confirming her appointment as Acting Rector on Friday, February 6, 2026, hence the decision to assert herself and make her new status known to the public.

Sources told Team@orientactualmags.com that the suspended Rector earned the odium of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq after being told that he (Abdul Jimoh) is a sneaky and double-faced person and no one was available to give an opposing opinion.

Recall that following the security situation in the state, NYSC had since September last year held orientation camp for the new corps members at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin instead of the Permanent Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Edu local government.

Ahead of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream 1 orientation course which commenced on January 21, 2026, the parent ministry had reportedly sent a letter to the Rector directing the release of the Kwara Polytechnic campus for the use of the new corps members.

Dr Abdul Jimoh was however reportedly hesitative and did not take measures to show that he was ready to comply with the directive and this later became his albatross as those who hate to see his face alleged that it was a precalculated and premeditated plot to embarrass the state government.

After the NYSC officials reportedly noticed his ‘uncooperative’ attitude, the commissioner in charge of the parent ministry was informed and the Secretary to the State Government had to get involved and send separate letter.

‘His major offence was that he reluctantly agreed to allow NYSC use Kwara Polytechnic campus for its orientation camp and when he eventually did, he failed to plan or manage the situation.

Rather than issuing a statement to extend the yuletide holiday for the students, he allowed them to return to campus before being told to embark on a fresh 3-week break . Imagine a student that had just arrived from Lagos being told to spend another N9,000 as bus fares to the Centre of Excellence. The students felt incensed and hit the streets to protest and demand reversal of the decision.

He also announced decision to shut down the polytechnic in the name of the governor. Although, there is no Chairman of Governing Council in place, he should have done that in the name of the management and not the governor. When the institution faces backlash, the governor will now get involved but he did it in a way that the governor was made the target of backlash right from the beginning of the crisis’ said a source.

Engineer Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, who was appointed as Rector of Kwara State polytechnic in October 2019, had, against all odds, gotten reappointed by the governor in October 2024.

Birds told our reporter that many who are not happy with him have not only used his current predicament as an opportunity to strike, there has also been an emergence of avalanche of petitions.

‘If he is lucky, he will have a divine escape from the past ‘administrative snares’ that have been unearthed and other plots but it is really a bad situation as people are ganging up on him’ said a source-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you