• MAPOLY Students’ Union building
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic students have been requesting for the restoration of their rights to vote and be voted for within the walls of their polytechnic. The Students’ Union Government (now referred to as Students’ Union was suspended since the 2014/2015 academic session over an alleged misappropriation of the union funds by a one-time President in the school.
Without any attempt to embellish the truth, the cry of the students is indeed a necessity. Hence, it should be noted that an institution is a place where one is assisted to achieve his/her dreams.
If a good analysis is done on the political atmosphere of the state presently, it will be discovered that former students of the institution who had nurtured their flair for politics since their days in the institution are now in the corridors of power piloting the affairs of the state, the development which the institution is proud of today.
Examples of these personalities include, the seating Governor of the state, Ibikunle Amosun; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Lekan Adegbite; Speaker of the House of Assembly Hon. Suraaj Adekunbi; Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honm Tola Banjo; Special Assistant to the governor on print media Shola Balogun.
Others include, former Commissioner for Information in the state who is presently the spokesperson of the Senate President Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu among others.
If the above mentioned personalities have not been given the opportunity to develop their in-born gifts their dreams would have been killed.
It is not a lie, that so many students who are presently studying one course or the other might not eventually feed on their said profession but their own personal interests would pave the desired way for them.
It should be a known fact to the management that if it refuses to conduct the union election, the students might lose truth in its leadership.
During our investigations, a source among the Students Representative Assembly told us that the amended constitution and the election date has been agreed upon and presented before to the academic board for assent because the members of the this body has not seated since the submission.
The postponement of the Matriculation and Oath-taking Ceremony from January 25th to February 16th may not be unconnected with the yet-to-be-held Students’ Union election.
It would be recalled that recently, when the schools representatives converged on the Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa to decide on the date of the next election which will usher-in new executives that will pilot the affairs of the entire Nigeria students in Ogun state, the MAPOLY representative was not allowed to move or second any motion, because he is not a substantive SUG President.
We hereby advise the management to expedite it move in conducting the students union election to protect the interest of the school within the committee of institutions in the state and beyond.
Also, the conduct of the election will further build the trust of the students in the Professor Oludele Itiola-led administration.