Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 22 election in Osun State, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has condemned police’s arrest of Principal of Ede Muslim High School, Abbass Adejare, for issuing him (Adeleke) a testimonial several years after his graduation from the school.
In a statement, on Sunday, by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Olawale Rasheed, in Osogbo, the state capital, the senator described the arrest of the principal as ‘unwarranted politicisation of a routine school administrative process.’
Rasheed said that the arrest was not only politically-motivated but also an attempt to harass, persecute and malign the character of the PDP candidate.
He added that issuance of a testimonial to a former student, at any time, despite the date on it by the school authority, was not a crime that could warrant the attention of police officers from Lagos, insisting that the school had only performed its legal duty in issuing the certificate.
He called on the police authorities to unconditionally release the principal, insisting that he had only performed his duty.
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The statement read, “We are constrained to issue this statement on the recent arrest and persecution of the principal of Ede Muslim High School over false accusations of forged school testimonial issued to Senator Ademola Adeleke as a former student of the school because of a date error.
“We note with great alarm the politically motivated arrest and unwarranted media attacks designed as a tool of harassment, persecution and character assassination of the PDP flag bearer, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke,” the statesment added.
“It is insane to continue to peddle falsehood questioning Senator Adeleke’s attendance of Ede Muslim Grammer School (Now Ede Muslim High School), where he was very popular and well known for his amiable and friendly character, always drawing people close and seeking their cheerfulness and joy, a fact his school mates and alumni members attested to. He was in fact the president of the Old Students Association until recently.
“We note with great concern the ridiculous criminalising of a simple issuance of school testimonial to a former student.
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“The politicisation of a routine school administrative process is hereby condemned in its strictest terms and we call the police authorities to please call their men to order and redirect their attention and efforts to investigating and solving real crimes and not trumped up accusations.
“It must be reaffirmed that issuance of a testimonial duly signed by authorities of the school to an ex student cannot be a crime irrespective of the date on it.
“There is clearly more to this exercise than routine investigation. How can a date issue on a testimonial and not a certificate be a matter that attracts the attention of FCIB Alagbon officers from Lagos?
“We therefore call on the police authorities to unconditionally release Mr. Abbass Khalib Adejare, the principal of Ede Muslim High School, who is currently held in Lagos a distant and disconnected jurisdiction of School in Ede, Osun State.
“The school under his supervision had only performed a legal administrative duty through the issuance of a testimonial.
“Please note that a testimonial is simply a statement of character attestation and confirmation of the years of attendance at the school and not a school certificate.”