Kafilat Taiwo, Michael Babatunde
Despite the suspension of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike and the announcement of immediate resumption by the management of Moshood Abiola Polytecnic, students of the institution are yet nowhere near the school environment.
Some quarters have alleged that the absence of students on campus is responsible for the non-commencement of academic activities on campus.
The umbrella body for polytechnic lecturers, ASUP suspended its two month old strike last week Tuesday directing all its chapters to resume work immediately.
Following this suspension, the rector, Dr. Samson Odedina had in an interview disclosed the institution’s readiness to resume academic activities.
ASUP MAPOLY were not initially (officially) part of the national industrial action as the management declared December 12-january 7 as festive holiday until January 8th when an official statement was made by the erstwhile ASUP MAPOLY Chairman, Kola Abiola, who announced that the institution is on strike when he was being interviewed via a radio program.
Students already resumed back to school between January 7 before the statement was made by the then ASUP chairman,Mr Kola Abiola.
While students of the institution are still contemplating if the suspended ASUP strike will take effect on their institution, the rector assured that all crisis hitherto rocking the institution have been resolved.
Speaking in an interview, Odedina said the lecturers have been paid their outstanding arrears, "It has been resolved because our salary has been paid up to date and we are expecting January salary and one of the arrears in 2017, one month. I had a meeting with members of the union on Friday, We are eager to resume, everyone trust me as the new rector to make things happen. The governor already promised to come and see us, we are expecting him anytime from now. All the union on campus is eager to set the ball rolling."
He however declined speaking on students resuming in lieu of the elections.
An official statement followed from the management ordering its students to return to campus to complete their registrations ahead of the resumption of academic activities.
Recall that some students were yet to complete registrations for the second semester of the 2017/2018 academic session just as the session was yet to be completed owing to the strike embarked upon by ASUP on December 12, 2018.
The management stated that all newly admitted students for National Diploma at Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia and Higher National Diploma at MAPOLY, Abeokuta are to complete their registrations in MAPOLY as from Monday 18th February, 2019.
The statement in parts, "Similarly, all returning students, who are yet to complete the payment of their school fees are advised to do so and complete their registration without further delay to avoid penalty.
"By this development, all newly admitted students for National Diploma at Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia and Higher National Diploma at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta are to complete their registration in MAPOLY as from Monday 18th February, 2019."
Lecturers have Wednesday, 13th February, 2019, resumed work, an indication to the commencement of academic activities.
The school PRO, Yemi Ajibloa while entertaining questions at his office maintained that all lecturers have resumed while students remain nowhere near the institution.
“Go and check you department, you will see lecturers there. They have been coming since ASUP suspended strike but there are no students to attend to. The lecturers are fully on ground waiting for the students. It is now left for the students to resume, finish up their syllabuses and write exams,” Ajibola said.
Investigation revealed that the traffic of students on campus were the newly admitted students into National Diploma at Ogun Poly and Higher National Diploma into MAPOLY who were ijn the process of registrations.
Students were demanding for a release of a new academic calendar before they resume while some were hell bent on resuming after the elections.
Returning students were hardly seen on campus since the announcement of strike suspension and resumption as they are still at various destinations sighting the elections and academic calendar cum examination date as reason why they haven’t returned to school.
Those who spoke to our correspondent gave their reasons for refusing to resume back to school even after the 2 month industrial strike has being called off.
A student identified as Olamide Adelowo said, "The school management has failed us right from the onset, they were toiling with the academic activities stating that they are on work-to-rule in few weeks to examinations. Even if we are to resume, that will definitely be after the elections because most of us are tired of this promise and fail of a thing."
Adisa Ayomide, an accountancy student said that she wouldn’t just rush down like she did earlier in January.
"when the school management told us to resume on January 7th that academics activities would commence, I was in Oyo state learning craft, I rushed down to Abeokuta immediately I noticed that the resumption date had gone viral, not knowing that it that the management didn’t take us seriously," she said.
Esther Ogunlana feels she has lots of engagements she can’t call off till she is sure of resumption.
"While the management joined the National strike, I was engaged with so many things, now, the strike has being called off, how are we sure that MAPOLY crisis has been settled,"
Deborah Ajayi thinks “the school management will have to wait till when everything is settled, because most students are waiting for the examinations timetable to be pasted."
There are however, indications that academic activities will resume fully next week as lecturers are appearing to be in tune with the school management.
A lecturer (name withheld) while having conversation with some students said, “The lecturers are here on campus but those who need them, those they are here to serve are nowhere to be found. Some of them are saying elections, how many of them are going to vote? You better tell your mates to resume next week so that you can round up your courses and start preparing for exams. You know I am done with lectures for this semester but my students will have to come and defend the project they did in my course, next week.”