From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, (MAPOLY) branch, Abeokuta, has described as a ‘wild goose chase’, the plan by the Ogun State Government to establish Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology, in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The union, equally expressed doubts over the state government’s capacity and ability to fund the new university in a sustainable manner, considering that salaries of the MAPOLY staff were being paid from students’ school fees.
Rising from a special congress to review the proposed university, yesterday, the union, in a communiqué signed by the ASUP state chairman, Mr. Kola Abiola, the union declared it no longer have confidence in the membership and activities of the transition committee led by former Executive Secretary, National University Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola.
The communiqué read in part: “What are the resources on ground to facilitate the approval to commence operations in the proposed Ogun State Polytechnic? How is MAUSTECH and the new Ogun State Polytechnic going to be funded, especially the funding of overhead costs in the short run?
“How do we ensure on a sustainable basis, the payment of salaries of over seven hundred (700) existing staff of MAPOLY? This is a pertinent question, given the fact that presently, salaries are mainly sourced from school fees paid and especially now that admission is being suspended and even the new university and Ogun State Polytechnic will of necessity admit less numbers of students (both being new institutions of learning respectively?”
The union, however, noted that the transition committee had lost its relevance, submitting “ASUP MAPOLY chapter is strongly in support of the establishment of Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology.”