14th June, 2013
In a bid to return to their classrooms and continue with their academic activities, students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, have appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, to end the strike action which has crippled activities in polytechnics across the country.
This was the general consensus of students when P.M.NEWS Campus Square spoke with some of them yesterday as the strike enters its fifth week.
Some of the respondents revealed that they have been idle since the commencement of the strike action and any further delay may cause more harm than good.
An ND1 Accounting student of the institution, Adisa Oluwafehinsola Lydia siad: “I’ve been idle since ASUP embarked on the strike action and it’s really killing me. Our school calendars will also be affected with this action.”
“I want the federal government to consider us and give ASUP their demands so that this strike action will be called off as soon as possible,” she added.
Speaking in the same vein, another student, Oshilaja Olatunji, lamented that apart from the effect of the strike action on the school calendar, he has been spending more than necessary since the strike action had been embarked upon.
He also added that those who were supposed to be working on their projects would be delayed.
“It is unfortunate that the federal government has closed its eyes to the yearning of these people because we’re the ones bearing the brunt.”
Onifade Akinyemi, a Business Administration student of the institution, said the effects of the strike action are devastating as it prevents them from catching up with their counterparts in the universities.
“All my friends in the university will be ahead of me with this kind of setting, it’s also not good enough for the school calendar because it will draw us back.”
“We heard that the Board of Directors had a meeting yesterday and t they insisted on continuing with the strike. I know it’s quite annoying but that’s what we have to live with until the federal government gives them what they want,” she said.
—Damilare Okunola