MAPOLY WILL STILL BE IN EXISTENCE IN FOUR YEARS- AMOSUN
* Appoints Acting Rector
* As students protest state of education in the State
Michael Adesanya
Abeokuta
Against insinuations that the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Ojere, Abeokuta, Ogun State has gone into extinction over the upgrading of the school to a University status, the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has said the school would still be in existence for the next four years.
Amosun disclosed this while speaking to the State students who came in their hundreds to his Oke-Mosan Governor's Office, Abeokuta to protest the state of education in the State.
The State recently upgraded MAPOLY to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) and created Ogun State Polytechnic which would be located at Ipokia area of the State.
The placard carrying students under the aegis of National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), Ogun axis began their protest at the National Nigeria Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Abiola Way down to the Governor's Office where the demonstration was terminated.
They tagged their action "Rescue Ogun State Education Campaign (ROSEC)". Some of the placard inscriptions read: " Save Ogun State education ", " Education must survive" and "Mapoly must survive".
The Chairman of Ogun NANS, Comrade Olawale Balogun told the Governor that the students was not happy with the State of education in the State, urging the government to address the issue as a matter of urgency.
He specifically mentioned the delay in the commencement of the examination of MAPOLY, saying the action would affect the career of the students.
Balogun said the association was not in tune with the cancellation of the payment of West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and the hike in the Acceptance fee of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.
The Governor said the State government is working hard to improve the standard of education in the State.
On MAPOLY, Amosun disclosed that it was their lecturers who were delaying their exams, saying he has explained to them the issues in clear terms.
He said the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) of the school would be invited immediately to address the issue.
The Governor said the students who were currently running various programmes at different levels would finished their studies, insisting that no student would be taken to Ipokia.
Amosun emphatically said that there would not be automatic appointment for the aggrieved lecturers in both the University and the new polytechnic, insisting they would have to apply for the new ones.
"I am not happy because this my school. What is happening today is because those that have been given the privilege to serve us are not serving well"
" Everybody here (current MAPOLY students) will finish their courses, it will take four years before MAPOLY will go into extinction, You are not going to Ipokia . If the lecturers don't want that, we will sort them out"
On the University and new Polytechnic, he said "We will sort for new lecturers for the university and the new poly. Mapoly lecturers are not comfortable with it, I said the appointment they have is for MAPOLY, for the new University, they will have to reapply. If they are qualified, they can take them".
"I will ask the Commissioner to meet them again".
On the delay exams, the Governor stressed "They cannot hold us to Ransom, they will explain to us why there is delay but it cannot be because we are creating new schools".
"We are only admitting ND 1. We are not admitting any student to Mapoly. We are not sacking anybody, we are not taking them automatically. Why should we carry another place problem to new one.
"We are only admitting ND one. If you have carryover you are going to Ipokia. I told them (management) don't admit new students to MAPOLY".
He added "Education will be free at the primary and secondary schools, for tertiary we will subsidise it".
Meanwhile, the Rector of the school, Prof Oladele Itiola has proceeded on his terminal leave.
The State government in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa however appointed, Mr Ayodeji Salimon as the Acting Rector of the school with immediate effect.
See More Photos:
0 comments: