SUG ELECTION AND THE TRUTH STUDENTS MUST KNOW NOW! *Vote candidate with Pro-Student programmes* In less than 72 hours to Students’ Union Government (SUG) Election, after almost three years of undue proscription of our Union, we of the Polytechnic of Ibadan Branch of Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) wish to call the attention of students, workers and the entire Polytechnic community to some growing speculations among vast majority of students concerning the Audio CD with Senator Abiola Ajimobi inscription which is presently on sale on the campus. For some times now, there had been some growing level of speculation among students that only students who buy the above stated Audio CD will be allowed to participate in the voting process during the upcoming Student Union Election. Unfortunately, since this speculation had been generating serious ripples and confusions among great students of our institution the Electoral Commission which is in the position to ensure that a free, fair and massed based election is planed and organized is yet to officially come-out to either refute or confirm this speculation. Since silence means acceptance! We of DSM, in conformity with the necessary provision of Nigeria constitution hereby put-up this article to: educate the students and the polytechnic community of the undemocratic nature of the alleged undemocratic conditionality of no CD no Vote towards a mass-based students’ opposition to such obnoxious condition. To us in DSM, the idea of forcing Audio CD on generality of students as one of the condition to vote in the upcoming election is undemocratic and tantamount to an infringement on the democratic right of every authentic students of our institution to choose and vote for any Contestant of their choice. The argument that, the sale of the so called CD is alternative and technical means to make students pay the SUG annual due they initially refused to pay collectively is not just a mere smokescreen but also undemocratic! As a matter of fact, students who are members of the union have every right to decide whether they are to be charged SUG due as well as the amount to be charged! This is usually done through their democratically elected leadership of the union. Even before such democratically elected leadership decides on behalf of students of whatever is charged as the annual due, there are stipulated constitutionally procedures that will need to be followed. The first is that the, elected executive arm of the union will need to send a proposal of whatever amount they want students to pay for an approval to the legislative arm of the union which is called Student Representative Council (SRC). The SRC also has every right to review or reject the proposal. Even, in situation where they approve, the students still have right to reject or disagree with whatever is approved by the SRC. In this case the greatest organ of the union which is the congress of students will then be needed to pass a final resolution. Given this background, it is very clear that, neither of the members of the handpicked caretaker committee nor does electoral commission have any power to impose any due, be it annual due or sale of Audio CD on any students. In fact the mass production of the CD with the inscription of a leader of a political party in the name of the Union is an impeachable offence, if the caretaker committee was to be a democratically elected leadership. This is because the production of the CD in the name of the union is capable to create avoidable division in the union, knowing fully well that, not every member of the union subscribe to the same political idea and philosophy. Though, every student who belongs to one political party or the other has the right to propagate the view and philosophy of his/her political party on campus. However, such a right becomes an offence if such was to be imposed on the union without a due consultation and collective agreement among members of the union! In view of this, we therefore call on every section of the School management which the electoral commission allegedly uses to force students to buy the so called CD to stay clear from such undemocratic conditionality as Students Union Election is meant to be massed based and participatory student affairs. Again, if truly the above raised speculation is not true, we hereby call on members of electoral commission to come out with an open position to refute such allegation so as to ensure students of criteria that the commission had adopted for the conduct of the election. POOR LIVING AND LEARNING CONDITION ON CAMPUS: THE WAY FORWARD After over 40years of establishment of our great citadel of learning, it is obvious that the polytechnic of Ibadan is not fair better among virtually other tertiary institution not only in Oyo State but also in Nigeria where standard condition of living and learning of students and workers has obviously neglected. It not news that, our institution is bedeviled with lack of adequate facilities for proper teaching, learning and research. Few available hostel facilities are dilapidated and insufficient. Lecturer to students’ ratio is unwholesome. In many cases, a single instructor is responsible to hundreds of students who receives lecture in stuffy, old and dilapidated room called lecture halls. While we commend several selfless and genuine efforts of thousands of change-seeking students who at different time come out in a protest against backward condition of our institution, the truth we must known is that, all the various crisis under which the institution is groaning today is a manifestation of poor and inadequate funding of public education by the government at the state level just the way it exists at the federal level. As we write, it had been allegedly stated that the ACN now APC led-government in the state has not voted any money for any capital project not only in our school but also in other tertiary institutions in Oyo state since the inception of the administration. This is the major reason, why despite several pressures through protests we had mounted on the Acting provost has not be able to yield any significant result in term of improvement of our living and learning condition. This does not mean that all our effort is fruitless! But point, we need to know is, before our struggle can bring about a visible and significant result, there is a need for students and workers to come together in a joint and collective struggle for a proper funding of education. Therefore, to bring about a synergic struggle of students and workers, for adequate funding of public education require a determine, clear-headed leadership at the head of our Union whom will at all time be ready and prepare to fight for the collective interest and aspiration of students against the usual tradition of some students leaders who run after the politicians for their selfish interest at the expense of students. In view of this, we once again call on every student who is dissatisfy with present state of things on our campus and interested in a change to make sure that he/she did not only vote for a credible candidate with pro-students programme in this coming election but also make sure that other change-seeking students are also mobilized to vote for such a candidate towards making our union to be virile. OUR DEMANDS -No to imposition of Audio CD on any Student as a criterion to vote for candidate of his/her choice -Independent Virile, mass based, and participatory Student Union Government (SUG) -Adequate and proper funding of public education -No to extortion of students through the imposition of hand-out at faculty or departmental level -Immediate and democratic Election of substantive Head at every managerial position in the institution -Adequate and prompt remunerations for workers in the institution Comrade Titus (The secretary) If you are interested in Joining us, contact the following numbers: 08067132468, 08051741155, 08033914091
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 17:45:30 +0000
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