National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Academic Staff of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, have embarked on an indefinite strike following allegation of threat to the lives of its executive members.
Under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, the Union alleged that the government of Ogun State has unleashed ‘state machinery’ to harass and kill its members.
Speaking with the media after its Congress, the Chairman of the Union, Kola Abiola, alleged that unregistered vehicles have started entering the school as against the security arrangement of the Institution.
He further alleged that those unregistered vehicles had, on two occasions, traced him to the junction of his residence.
Abiola said the members of the union were no more willing to offer their services until the government complied with their demands.
He said, “One of the things that has come out of this Congress is the issue of security and never before has lives been threatened since July 3 that we began this struggle.
“As we speak to you, the government has unleashed state machinery to want to harass, maim and kill us and since we feel our lives are no longer guaranteed on this campus, all academic staff of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, are not willing to provide their services as long as their lives are being threatened.
“The security arrangement is that vehicles with unregistered numbers do not come into School. We’ve found out that unregistered vehicles have come into School.
“They’ve not only pursued and harass me, they’ve also trailed me on two occasions to the junction of my residence, this we’ve reported at the appropriate quarters.
“The Congress feels that if the lives of exco members are so harassed, what will happen to the other members? They will not feel safe conducting exams and other businesses in an unsafe environment.”
On other pressing issues, Abiola alleged that the policy of the government to upgrade the Polytechnic to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology has affected the school negatively.
According to him, salaries are not being paid since the School operates on school fees while prospective students are not willing to seek admission into the school.
He said, “In the month of September, its only 40% of our salary that was paid, in the month of October, it was another truncated salary that was paid and the government has told us to go and look inwards: ‘Do you want us to start selling mats?’, ‘Do you want us to start selling out students to get money?’
“The actual subvention is 11 million and the government promised to increase it, but two months of subvention was released, N20 million instead of N22 million.
“And for a school that has been running on school fees, now students are not coming. More than 7,500 were offered admission into HND, only 132 have responded to come to the school. That is what the police of government is doing to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.
