Shocking!!! Bayelsa Tourism And Hospitality Institute On Fire Over Leadership Tussle

Henry Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa Governor

By Jide Dominic, Yenagoa

There are indications that the leadership tussle that has bedeviled the International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State since last year was far from being resolved.

This indication came as the Rector of the institute, Chief Samuel Timi Johnson recently suspended the school's Registrar, Mr. Leo Adelakun over what he described as the Registrar's insubordination, administrative lapses    and gross misconduct.

According to the Rector, the suspension became necessary owing largely to the unilateral decisions being taken by the Registrar without following due process, stressing that this includes issuance of letter of appointment and undue suspension of some staff of the school.

As a result of this, Chief Samuel Johnson stated that the staff of the institute staged a peace protest to throw their weight behind the suspension of the Registrar, adding that the activities of the Registrar has negatively affected the staff of the school as regards their day to day duties.

But, in what seemed as a twist to the development, the State Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs. Ebiere Mesah, who was at the institute on a fact-finding mission, disagreed with the position of the Rector, stating that the suspension of the Registrar is out of place as there are laid down procedures that must be followed before the Registrar can be suspended.

Mrs. Mesah, therefore, promised that she would take the matter to the appropriate authorities with the aim of amicably resolving the issues, assuring that the petition against the Rector written by the Registrar would also be looked into.

In a swift reaction, the Registrar, Mr. Leo Adelakun, in a petition made available to newsmen, condemned the action of the Rector, describing it as a blatant ruse as the Rector lacks the authority to suspend him.

Adelakun alleged that the Rector is someone who lacks both the academic and administrative qualification to lead the institute, accusing him of mismanaging the institute's financial resources of about N408,000,000 released by the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the Bayelsa State Government.

The Registrar displayed copies of the academic certificates which are mere vocational training certificates, claiming that they are not enough to qualify him as the Rector of the institute.

He also explained that the appointment of the Rector of the institute was based on two grounds which are that the Rector must not be below the rank of a Chief Lecturer being the highest academic rank in a Polytechnic.

In addition, he further revealed that any appointment for the post of a Rector must have had not less than 25 years industry experience.

The Registrar cited the Rector's constant disregard to the rules and regulations guiding the institute including administrative, financial, as well as ethical matters.

Other accusations contained in the petition are inciting staff against one another, encouraging rumours and misinformation in the running of the institute and awarding contracts to family members and friends without passing though procurement laws.