The Ogun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has described as executive recklessness and arrogance of power, the insensitivity shown by the All Progressive Congress (APC) government of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to the plights of students of Moshood Abiola Poytechnic, Abeokuta who took to the street earlier today in protest against the governor’s decision to ignore the demand of the institution’s Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) who have down tools for over four months.
In a press statement made available to the media by the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Alhaji Malik Ibitoye, quoting the Chairman of PDP in the State, Hon Sikirulai Ogundele, the opposition party lamented the deliberate nonchalant attitude and non-responsiveness of governor Amosun towards resolving the APC created unending crises that has engulfed the institution since the government’s poorly conceived and badly executed idea to upgrade the polytechnic to a University of Technology.
It will be recalled that the Amosun led APC government has insisted that Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) be technically scrapped and two new institutions be established; Ogun Polytechnic Ipokia and Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH).
The government also directed that staff of MAPOLY resign and reapply into the new University or be absorbed into the Polytechnic in Ipokia. The Institution’s ASUP chapter however kicked against these directives and embarked on an indefinite strike.
“Our students have been locked out of school since August and the governor is not perturbed. The actions of the students who took to the street in black attires after declaring a ‘black week’ is alien to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. The students are already mourning the parlous state of education in Ogun State under the watchful eyes of Governor Amosun. This is an act of wickedness on our future leaders, parents and the society at large.” Hon Sikirulai Ogundele stated.
The PDP Chairman further berated the APC government for abandoning all the public tertiary institutions in Ogun State in terms of developmental projects.
“Before Governor Amosun came in with his ill-thought out and poorly executed policy on our educational system, it must be noted that the PDP government developed MAPOLY and Olabisi Onabanjo University with massive infrastructures including lecture theatres, laboratories and halls, apart from establishing three ICT Polytechnics from the scratch and upgrading Tai Solarin College of Education to the first University of Education in Nigeria without disrupting the academic calendars of the students and their lecturers. If the PDP government did not erect those beautiful structures in MAPOLY, would Governor Amosun think of upgrading it to a University. This has shown that governor Amosun has no official policy to develop education in Ogun State.” Ogundele asserted.
The PDP Chairman however enjoined the protesting students to go about their agitations in the most peaceful manner and prayed that God will touch the wicked hearts of Governor Amosun to listen to their pleas in the remaining few months left for the APC maladministration in the State and Nigeria at large.
