Efosa Taiwo
The Students Representative Council (SRC), Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, has demanded for a Students’ Union (SU), admitting its limitations without it.
The SRC speaker, Durodola Oluwasegun said this yesterday evening, while fielding questions from students of the polytechnic in an online interview organised by Press Club MAPOLY (PCM) on her whatsapp group.
According to Oluwasegun, the SRC is limited in some areas in seeking the good of the students which is one of their core duties, emphasizing that the existence of a SU would help enhance the situation.
He also debunked reports derived from students union’ aspirants that the school management has fixed the manifesto and election for March 22nd and 23rd respectively, stating that the SRC will inform the public about the date.
In his word, "It’s very essential we have student union in MAPOLY because there are some things student representative council which is the legislative arm of student union cannot do. I will sight an example: When Goodluck Ebele Jonathan changed Unilag to Maulag, Student Union fought against the change, had it been it’s only SRC then,they can’t fight because they are meant to make law."
"Same thing is happening in MAPOLY today, Student union can fight for existence of MAPOLY. SRC are limited to some things."
On the date, he said: " Did you hear from the right channel ? NO! that’s all I have for now. Student representative council will update student populace about the date."
The last time MAPOLY had a SU was in the 2014/2015 session, an administration led by Segun Glorious that carted away with 2million naira which led to the proscription of the Students’ Union by the School management.
Afterwards, in the 2015/2016 the management appointed a SU caretaker committee led by Sodiq Usaefat.
In 2016/17 session, an election was held on March 10, 2017 and it was contested between Mr Shola Kosoko(Kosoko), Mr Ahmed Fakunmoju (HOC) and Mr Adegoke (SMS). The E- election was marred with irregularities whereby aspirants protested the election results with various petitions and this led to the cancelation of the election results by the school management and the union was left vacuum.
Recently, there was supposed to be an election in November 2017 but was canceled by the School management who said that the order was from above.
Speaking on the prevention of another election marred with petitions, he said that because petitions are constitutional, there is little they can do to stop petition, adding that they can only enlighten the aspirants on acceptance of defeat.
His words, "We can’t stop petition because it is constitutional,what we can only do is to enlighten the aspirants to admit defeat."
When quizzed by a SU aspirant, Abiola Moshood on why three minutes and five minutes are the time allocated aspirants to inform the electorates about their manifesto, Oluwasegun said it is possible to convince the electorates in two minutes.
"You can convince audience in 2mins. You drill yourself.".
Also, the SRC speaker denounced that the SRC have any constitutional right to push for admission of ND students, emphasizing that they can only push for the existence of MAPOLY.
Meanwhile, he reminded the students that they can decide the future of MAPOLY and admonished them to contribute their quota to the progress of MAPOLY.
He, however, vowed that the SRC will not betray the struggle but consult, consolidate and confront for the students.
