…Allege threat to lives
From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The crisis rocking the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, took a backward turn, on Saturday, as lecturers declared indefinite strike.
The teaching staff of the Polytechnic, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), announced the decision after an emergency congress, held at ASUP Secretariat inside MAPOLY, Abeokuta.
Briefing newsmen immediately after the congress, MAPOLY ASUP chairman, Kola Abiola, said the lecturers decided to embark on total strike because safety of their lives could no longer be guaranteed.
Abiola, who said that since the beginning of MAPOLY ASUP face off with the Ogun State government on July 3, no single lecturer’s life has been threatened, alleged state machinery had been unleashed to harass and intimidate them.
He, further, told journalists that despite the fact that unregistered vehicles were not allowed to enter the campus as part of security measures, a specific brand of unregistered vehicle had been sighted on several occasions on the school campus.
Abiola, added that the vehicle had not only pursued and harassed him, it had also trailed him to the junction of his residence twice.
He said, though the matter had been reported to the appropriate security agency, he insisted the industrial action became inevitable because the lecturers feared for their lives vowing they would not return to work until security of their lives can be assured.
“We have just held our congress and one of the things that have come out of this congress is the issue of security. Never before has any person’s life has been threatened, since July 3rd that we began this struggle and we want to believe that we have not gone confrontational.
“We have asked for audience with the government and we have used every medium available to us, even meeting with traditional leaders and people that matter in Ogun State to warn the government of the state to talk to us. But as we speak to you, the government has unleashed state machinery.
“They want to harass me and kill us. And so because we feel our lives are no longer guaranteed in this campus, all staff of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, have said that they are no longer willing to provide their services as long as their lives are being threatened.
“The security arrangement is that vehicle with unregistered plate number does not come into school. But we have found out that a vehicle without a plate number has come to school. It has not only pursued and harassed me, they have also trailed me on two occasions to the junction of my residence and these we have reported at the appropriate quarters.
“And the congress feels if members of the exco of the union could be so harassed, what will happen to the ordinary members. And so they would not feel safe conducting exam or conducting their activities in an environment that is not secured,” Abiola stated.