GOVERNOR AMOSUN HAS NO PROPER PLANNIG FOR NEW UNIVERSITY, ASUP
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, accused Ogun State Governor,Senator Ibikunle Amosun of not having proper planning to manage the upgrade of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to a university.
The National Vice President of the union,Timothy Ogunseye made this known at a press conference held in Abeokuta,pointing out the hurry nature of the governor for the institution take has now turn a menace for both staff and students of the institution.
He noted that, the establishment of new Ogun Polytechnic located in Ipokia is also facing the same fate of lack genuine plans
Ogunseye said the confusion caused by government action has put the life of over 700 staff and over 18,000 students in jeopardy.
The union leader,while commending the policy of the government on the new institutions, called on the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, not to sanction illegality as being proposed by the government.
The union stated that,it was ready for dialogue with government to addressed the issues,which include transition, career progression, and welfarism of staff and students, among other.
In same vein,the body suggested a gestation period within which the Polytechnic would cohabit in the same environment with the new varsity for proper take off.
The union also suggested a massive housing project that will accommodate both the staff and students of the new polytechnic in Ipokia before the movement.
“If you want to move over 700 staff, both teaching and non teaching, there are lots of things to be put in place; classrooms, laboratories, workshops, even accommodation because we are talking about a school that has over 18,000 student capacity, how do you move all of them in one day without proper planning?’,he stated
“In some other climes, what we expect the government to do is to allow the new polytechnic to take off from here like it has happened in so many places. We are saying that since the polytechnic has got to this stage, you can’t just disturb their career and move them in one sweep without giving them opportunities’,Ogunseye said.
“If you are asking people to move, what happens to their pension and gratuity? What happens to the harmonisation and continuity of their career advancement? They formed their career in MAPOLY’,he added.
“Our position in this regards is that there must be a gestation period during which people can move from Abeokuta to Ipokia and we are of the view that there’s nothing wrong if the Polytechnic as well as the university can cohabit here for the next three to four years’.
“And from here, we expect our colleagues to move to Ipokia within which we expect the level of infrastructure to have been upgraded because there’s nothing in Ipokia as we speak,” the union said.
It would be recalled that,union chapter of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic has been at loggerhead with the state government over plan to relocate the staff of the polytechnic to Ipokia.
The union said government has failed to allow dialogue by disregarding all correspondences earlier send to it.
