MAPOLY will cease to exist in the next four years ―Amosun

FOLLOWING the recent upgrade of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, to a University of Science and Technology, the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has assured students of the institution who are currently running different programmes of completion of their courses within next four years.

The governor said this while addressing hundreds of students from different higher institutions in the state, who stormed the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, protesting over the state of education in Ogun.

The governor told the students that MAPOLY lecturers were the ones delaying the commencement of the second semester examination and that his administration is working assiduously to improve the standard of education in the state.

He said the government would invite the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to a meeting so as to deliberate on issues surrounding halt in academic activities in the school.

Governor Amosun informed the protesting students that there would be no automatic appointment for any lecturer in the new university.

The governor said, “I am not happy because this is my school. What is happening today is because those that have been given the privilege to serve us are not serving well.

“Everybody here (current MAPOLY students) will finish their courses. It will take four years before MAPOLY will go into extinction, you are not going to Ipokia. If the lecturers don’t want that, we will sort them out.

“We will sort for new lecturers for the university and the new poly. MAPOLY lecturers are not comfortable with it. The appointment they have is for MAPOLY, for the new University, they will have to reapply. If they are qualified, they can take them. I will ask the Commissioner to meet them again.

“They cannot hold us to ransom, they will explain to us why there is delay but it cannot be because we are creating new schools.

“We are only admitting ND 1. We are not admitting any student to MAPOLY. We are not sacking anybody, we are not taking them automatically. Why should we carry another place problem to the new one?

“We are only admitting ND one. If you have carryover you are going to Ipokia. I told them (management) don’t admit new students to MAPOLY”.

“Education will be free at the primary and secondary schools, for tertiary we will subsidise it”.

The Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Olawale Balogun told the Governor that the students were unhappy with the State of education, urging the government to address the issue as a matter of urgency.

The student union leader said the delay in commencement of examination in MAPOLY would affect the career of the students.