… As students protest ‘poor state of education’
Ogun State Government has directed Rector of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY), Prof Oludele Itiola, to proceed on terminal leave, as efforts to find lasting solutions to the crisis rocking the institution hit the rocks, yesterday.
The state government has appointed Mr. Ayodeji Salimon Tella, as acting rector.
Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, who announced changes in the leadership of the institution in a statement, yesterday, said the decision was part of the general transition programme which involved MAPOLY and the new Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH).
It was gathered that Prof Itiola’s sack, who was appointed on November 10, 2013, may not be unconnected with upgrading of the polytechnic to a university by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
The state government also summoned an emergency meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), yesterday, to forestall any fallout the changes may have.
Meanwhile, scores of students, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State axis, protested what they termed the “parlous state of education in Ogun.”
The students marched to the Governor’s Office at Oke Mosan, in Abeokuta, the state capital and carried placard with inscriptions such as ‘Save Ogun State education ‘, ‘Education must survive’ and ‘MAPOLY must survive.’
NANS Chairman in the state, Olawale Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the students said they were not happy with the state of education in Ogun and urged the state government to address the issue, as a matter of urgency.
He decried the delay in the commencement of examinations at MAPOLY and said the action would negatively affect the students. Balogun also said the association was not happy with cancellation of payment of West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and hike in the acceptance fee of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.
Governor Amosun, who addressed the students said the state government is working hard to improve the standard of education in the state and accused the lecturers of deliberately delaying examinations.
The governor also added that ASUP leadership in the school would be invited to address the issue.
He, however, assured students currently running various programmes in MAPOLY that they would be allowed to complete their programmes.
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