•••Rector continued absence hindering negotiation – Investigation
The students of the Federal Polytechnic Ede has vowed to continue their demonstration following the refusal if the school management to resolve the crisis between it and the academic staff.
InsightMedia reported the students have shut the gates of the school, since Tuesday as they protest the sit-at-work strike embarked upon by members of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, ASUP.
On Wednesday, the management promised that the crisis will be resolved at a meeting slated for Thursday morning and the students will be called back to classes.
However, InsightMedia gathered that the continued absence the Rector, Dr John Taiwo Adekolawole is hindering the discussion as senior management staff could not hold any meeting in his absence. This medium also gathered that the management staff are frustrated with many having their cars grounded on the campus by protesting students. The Rector is expected to be back next week, with no precise date.
In his statement, the Students Union Government President, Kazeem Ajibade described both the management and the academic staff as “the enemies of the Students”.
He said “the lecturers of the school have chosen to toy with our academic endeavors. In lieu of that, the gates of the institution shall remained locked until our demands are met.
“We are not concerned with the fracas between the Management and lecturers, what we want is that students should resume lectures as a matter of emergency.
“It is no more a news that our demonstration has caught national attention and national and state stakeholders/dignitaries are showing interest, however, we will not stop our demonstrations until the matter between the management and lecturers are resolved.
“We implore students to show solidarity and speak via every active means, because we cannot fold our arms watching these people joke with our academic endeavors.
“We condemn, as usual these barbaric non chalant attitudes of the management and lecturers and we will never relent until our classes are reopened and lectures commenced.
“No students should vacate the school as instructed in the barbaric memo recently released by the school registrar. Hostel students are charged to stay calm in their respective hostels as no one dares send you out packing unjustly.
“The students are the landlords of the school. The management and lecturers are tenants. No tenants have any capacity to chase the landlord from the house. Therefore the memo that we should vacate the school is zero, null and void.
“We shall continue to demonstrate everyday until the management and lecturers cease their selfish battles.”
