Adeniran Sadiq
… SUG blames insecurity
… DSA claims SUG goofs, management unaware
It was a show of shame on Wednesday when Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta canceled a friendly match with visiting D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic Itori Ogun State.
The students of both schools had anticipated the match and trooped to the football pitch.
But, after the students of the visiting school arrived on a full bus around 11.20 a.m., they were told that the match would not hold.
The SUG president of visiting Polytechnic expressed disappointment with the incident, condemning the MAPOLY SUG for failing to make proper arrangements before they arrived.
D.S Adegbenro SUG president, popularly known as Solution, said, “It is very disheartening because for us to leave a lot of things we are doing on our campus to play the free and fair friendly match but on getting here, I heard that I had to meet with the DSA.”
He added, “I intended to introduce myself to him, but on getting there, he said we cannot play the football match.”
Press Club MAPOLY recalls that it had been a long time since a friendly match was staged on campus, which made the August match a much-awaited one.
However, in an interview with MAPOLY students leader, Sodiq Ajani (Optimum), they claimed that the insecurity challenge was the reason for canceling the match.
Although the student leader could not point to the recent insecurity issues around the school, Press Club MAPOLY recalls that the state capital had witnessed cult clashes in the past month (June).
Optimum pointed at the past issue as a reason for canceling the match after the visiting school had written to MAPOLY SUG.
“The issue here is that aside from the security issues, it doesn’t come officially. We just received the letter two days ago and it hasn’t been approved by the Directorate of Students Affairs. He doesn’t know about it.” Optimum stated.
He added, “But aside from that, considering the security issues, I know what I have faced here today.”
When the Press Club reporter quizzed the SUG president on the supposed insecurity issue, Optimum walked away.
Meanwhile, when Press Club MAPOLY visited the Directorate of Students Affairs, Mr. Olusegun Aninkan, on the reason for canceling the match, he blamed the students union for failure to inform the management about it.
M.r Aninkan noted that the management disagreed with having a match on the campus since they were not prepared for it.
“You know what happened about the issue is that we don’t know about the match.” He added, “I have spoken with the SUG of the other school. I told him if, as they were about to leave Igbesa and their school management was not aware. They said they took permission.”
The D.S.A further said the MAPOLY students union received a letter from the visiting Polytechnic but failed to deliver it to the management. Hence, the match was canceled.
“I asked if they wrote to the MAPOLY SUG, and they said they did.
“I told him that if I am the DSA of their school, I can just overlook it but here in MAPOLY, it can’t be done that way; this is the state headquarters.
“The way politicians, and considering the situation on the ground, for such an event, times, you will need to get approval from the commissioner. And now, the rector is not even around.
“I told Igbesa students that we should be concerned about their security while they are here.
“So, they just came and I don’t have power. And even, if I am going to bring anybody here, management must approve. It’s not even the issue of Union.”
Press Club MAPOLY also saw the letter later delivered to the D.S.A.
“See the date on the letter, today is 20th of July. It was when I was talking to them that they went to bring the letter.
“I told the Igbasa students that when they were coming, they said they had written to MAPOLY SUG. And I asked them, did MAPOLY SUG write back to them on the friendly match? The SUG collected the letter and they didn’t give it to the management,” Mr. Aninkan said.
