The Student Union Government president, Oladele Prosper, popularly known as Chemical, in Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), has become a topic of discuss among students due to his lack of inclusivity, transparency, and truthfulness.
Students have questioned Chemical’s capacity to lead, judging by his actions towards the Students’ welfarism and concerns towards the student’s populace.
From the union body to the students; transparency, truthfulness, and inclusivity have been the promises, yet none of these principles have been implemented by the current administration.
According to the Student Union constitution, article 1, the aim is “to defend, protect and promote the welfare and interest of the members.”
Unfortunately, the current administration is the total opposite; most of the political activities and policies have been conducted in secrecy.
Students lack access to information from the union, and the Public Relations department has done little to build the union’s image.
If possible, this administration is ready to silence whoever demands to hold its office accountable or attempts to question the operations of its office, practising the exact opposite of democracy.
In addition to this, the current administration has misled students on several occasions, starting with the announcement via a press release issued on September 13, 2024, about equipping the school clinic with necessary facilities for the sake of the students.
Confirming this, students who visited the school clinic after the announcement have said that they still got referred to hospitals outside the institution, as no first aid treatment was available to them at the clinic.
One contentious issue on campus presently is the sudden increase in the SUG fee from N800 to N1,800 without prior deliberation or notification to the students.
Following the announcement via a press statement, on October 20, students expressed their outrage, demanding accountability and transparency.
However, to date, no statement has been issued by the union to address the issue.
According to a statement released by the Students’ Representatives Council (SRC), their intervention and deliberations with departmental leaders led the union to reduce the fee to N1,400.
However, departmental presidents said at the end of the meeting held with the SRC, the agreement was to reduce the fee to N1,300, which is contrary to the new press statement released by the SRC.
Amidst these controversies, the silence of the SUG on the issue has raised serious concerns among the students, leading many to question Chemical’s effectiveness as a leader, and the inclusivity of the students in the present government.
A leader who turns a deaf ear to his followers raises doubts: Is he truly leading for the students or the school management or for personal interests?
Students have therefore pledged not to pay any fees to the union until a proper explanation as to the reasons or the need for the increase.
As part of the responsibility of the union president as stated in the constitution’s Article IV, subsection D, he/she “shall defend the Union at all times.”
We hereby advise the SUG to act swiftly before students turn their backs on the current administration.
In the same vein, we urge the SUG president to be bold enough to address the uproars and bridge the communication gap between his office and the students’ populace; a coward cannot be a leader.
A Note to the SUG
As the only recognized press outfit on campus, with numerous awards to our name, we have the right to access information from you as a body.
As the fourth estate of every institution, we can approach your office to have a conversation with the president at any time, provided it is in the interest of the students.
Therefore, the incident that occurred on the school field on 24th October, 2024, where some of the union executives nearly engaged in a confrontation with the Press Club Editor and reporters seeking information from the president, should never be repeated.
If such incidents happen again, where you prevent us from accessing information, then PCM will view Chemical as a dictator and will do everything possible to inform the student body about the union and its members.
We are here for the students, and our work is free from personal interest or bias. Therefore, we expect respect from you and your team.
Our pen is mightier than your swords.
Let us assume that chemical is not a dictator until he forge ahead with his present acts.
God help us.