The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has resolved to converge in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for it describes as “mother of all protest” against the continued victimisation of a member, Comrade Adegboye Olatunji, by the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.
The protest slated for first week of July is tagged “National day of Action against victimisation and intimidation of students union leaders by institutions management”.
It is meant to demand unconditional reinstatement of Olatunji as student of the polytechnic.
Olatunji, a Senator in NANS and President, Students Union Government of the Polytechnic was suspended by the institution after he was arrested by the Police in February over alleged cult- related activities.
But NANS claimed his travails were orchestrated by the Polytechnic because of his call for accountability.
The decision to protest followed the approval granted for it by the National Executive Council of NANS as stated by the NANS National Vice President, Ojo Raymond while briefing reporters on Sunday in Obantoko, Abeokuta.
Ojo added that the NANS National Secretariat has directed all SUG in every state to organize mass protest against victimisation of students leader in their respective States before the National Day of Action in Ogun State.
While calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently set up a panel to probe the on – going projects at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, the NANS National Vice – President also called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate the administration of all funds allocated or generated by the Polytechnic since the appointment of Dr. Olusegun Aluko as its Rector.
Ojo said: “We hereby call on the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro to immediately and unconditionally reinstate one of our Senator’s in NANS Comrade Adegboye Emmanuel Olatunji pending the outcome of the on-going investigation of frivolous allegations against him.
“The National Executive Council of the National Association of Nigerian Students having review the report of the fact finding MISSION set-up by NANS on the allegations of Cultism and illegal arrest of one of our Senator’s in NANS and the President of the Student Union Government of the Federal Polytechnic ILARO, Comrade Adegboye Emmanuel Olatunji made it bold to say that it is a clear case of victimization to destabilize the Union.
“We are not unaware of the antics of majority of our institutions administrators in using the instruments of blackmail, victimization and of course intimidation to destabilize unionism in most of our campuses with pronounced aimed of making the Union stooges in their hand.
“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.
“We suspect that his arrest occurred when all attempts to cow him from raising some fundamental questions as regards the management of the institution’s resources and pertinent issues on Students welfare.
“This is evident in the quick manner in 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).
“The National Executive Council of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) call on President Muhammadu Buhari via the Minister of Education to set up a panel with men of good character to probe the on-going projects and project executed by the Dr. Olusegun Aluko, the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro.
“We have reasons to suspect that majority of the projects did not follow due process and were executed by the Rector through his fronts and private companies.”
But the Police Public Relations in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the students were not “reasonable,” with their allegation, wondering whether the Rector or the Police dressed their colleague in cult regalia and took him to the bush where he was arrested during cult initiation.
