Femi Oyeweso, Abeokuta
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently intervene in the alleged victimisation and intimidations of students by management of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro (FPI) wherein the union's leader, Comrade Adegboye Olatunji was suspended over phantom allegation of cultism.
NANS also implored the Federal Government through the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to immediately institute a probe panel into the finances of FPI since year 2014 when the incumbent Rector, Dr. Olusegun Aluko took over the affairs of the institution.
At a press conference addressed yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, NANS National Vice President, Comrade Ojo Raymond accused management of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro under the rectorship of Dr. Aluko of victimising the students' union President, Adegboye by calling him a cultist because he challenged some of the anti - students' policies introduced to the institution by the Rector.
He emphasized that management of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro resolved to labelling the S.U.G President, Adegboye as cultist because criticised the Rector for awarding projects to his private companies without following due process.
"The drama surrounding the arrest of the Students’ Union President of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Adegboye Emmanuel Olatunji most especially as it relates to the allegation of cultism levied against him by the Nigerian Police Force, Ogun state command was orchestrated by the Rector when all attempts to cowed him from raising some fundamental questions regarding the management of the Institution's resources had failed".
"This is evident in the quick manner at which the management of the institution suspended him without giving him the opportunity to defend himself in line with principle of fair hearing as guaranteed and enshrined under Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)".
NANS also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as that of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate the administration of all funds allocated to as well as those generated by Federal Polytechnic Ilaro since the appointment of Dr. Aluko as the Rector of the Polytechnic.
Ojo disclosed that NANS leadership is already working towards submitting a petition to the two anti - graft agencies in Nigeria as well as mobilising students to storm the national headquarters of EFCC and ICPC in Abuja in a peaceful protest that will make the anti - graft agencies probe finances of the institution since year 2014.
"As students leaders we will continue to resist any attempt or calculated attempts to destabilize students unionism in Nigeria as we will continue to defend the interests of our students at all times in all fronts. We will equally fight this deliberate effort to destroy our comrade as we have been able to ascertain in our fact findings".
"We however, call on His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, G.C.F.R., through the Honourable Minister of Education to with immediate effect, constitute a high level panel of men of good character to probe on-going projects and project executed by the Dr. Olusegun Aluko, the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro".
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