First Technical University, Ibadan, Tech-U, has reacted to allegation by a professor, Godwin Sadoh, that the institution owes him.
The attention of the management of the First Technical University, Ibadan (Tech-U), has been drawn to a report circulating online, in which one US-based Professor Godwin Sadoh alleged that the university owes him several months’ salary based on a contract he says he entered into with a former Acting Pro-Chancellor of the university, Professor Afolabi Oladapo.
We are surprised that Professor Sadoh is claiming that he was contracted to “assist in creating a music programme that would be rooted in 21st-century music technology, for the newly emerging Technical University of Ibadan, which was under construction at the time.” Tech-U’s value is rooted in engineering, technology and sciences, all with technological, technical, vocational and entrepreneurial orientation. So, Sadoh’s specialisation is not even part of the institution’s mandate. Besides, he claims to have designed a music building, students’ concert hall and ‘the Performing Arts Centre’. All of these are surely in any way not part of the university’s heritage.
Sadoh also says he was asked to create “the academic programme for all the departments in the College of Agricultural Sciences”, which is also, either by design or physically, is non-existing on our campus.
It is also instructive that Professor Sadoh is further claiming that he composed Tech-U’s anthem. This is very strange and, indeed, false. Our anthem has a living history. It was composed by Olufemi Ogunniran of Ogidiolu Afrocentric Media and Entertainment, with modification by the university management, based on inputs from a competition we launched on the project, with people from Ife-Ibadan axis mostly participating. Ogunniran, who studied Philosophy at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is into music and other forms of entertainment
Others who contributed to the making of the anthem include Professor Femi Adedeji of Music Department, OAU; and Dr Tolu Owoaje of Music Department, University of Ibadan. We should add that the university ensured it give honorarium to each of those whose submissions made reasonable sense even if such did not make it to the final stage.
Sadoh had earlier sent a letter to the First Technical University, in which he made claims that could neither be verified nor supported by documents. A diligent search of records available in the university did not yield any evidence of his assumption of duty. As a matter of fact, he has been advised to take appropriate legal action if he has his facts. Unfortunately, he has chosen to adopt a method of online blackmail to attempt to bring the university into disrepute. The general public is hereby implored not to fall for this cheap blackmail and deliberate misrepresentation.
For avoidance of doubt, the university does not owe any staff (full time, part time and contract staff) as our salaries are paid on or before 24th of every month, and this is what we have been doing since the inception till date, without any inch of failure.
Signed
Akeem Lasisi
Public Relations Officer,
First Technical University, Ibadan
