The students from all tertiary institutions in Ogun State have called on their parents, guardians and all the good people of the state to come out en masse on Saturday to vote for Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State Governor to actualise his re-election bid so as to continue with the good work he is doing in the state, especially the transformation going on in the education sector in the state.
The students made the call under the auspices of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), National Association of University Students (NAUS), the Progressive Students Movements (PSM) and all other recognized students bodies in the state.
The position of the students was made available to newsmen in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, after an emergency Senate meeting of the organised leadership of student bodies in Ogun State, where the students endorsed the incumbent Governor for re-election to serve his second term.
The statement was jointly signed by Comrade Damilola Kehinde Simeon, Chairman, NANS Ogun, Comrade Ogunrombi Oluwagbemileke,
NAOSS National President: Comrade Elvis Segun, NANS, National Deputy Senate President and all the Student Union Governments in the State.
According to the statement, the students said based on the track record of achievements of the Ogun State Governor, there was the need for the good people of the state to make a deliberate choice on Saturday, 11th of March, 2023 and vote for the peace, progress and development of the dear state.
“This is an aspiration we must embrace as a people. On this note, the Senate unanimously concluded that this aspiration is seen in the plans and programme of Abiodun in the last four years and therefore urge the good people of Ogun state in all sectors to embrace the continuity agenda of His Excellency Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun so as to ensure the stability and development of our education system which is of paramount importance to us as students.
“This is our reasonable appeal to our parents, guardians and every lovers of Ogun State.
“Having resolved through engagement of the Students’ Union leadership of Tertiary Institutions in the state, leadership of NANS, NAOSS, NAUS, PSM and other student bodies, it is in our wish and hope that, we all shall share these aspirations and effectively pursue it by voting for Prince Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Saturday, 11th of March, 2023,” the statement noted.
The students also noted that health sector and infrastructure have witnessed tremendous improvement under Abiodun, saying the Governor was recently awarded with industrious merit award by Forbes and several Nigerian media and organisations.
“A good example is the Agro Cargo Airport initiative of ex Governor Gbenga Daniel which the last administration abandoned now recently brought back to shape under the current administration. That is the progress and kind of continuity we desire for our dear state,” the students added.
The students further stated: “As a constituency, we have engaged the polity in the last four years pushing for policies and interventions that can reshape and bring back the education sector of the state to its former place in the country.
“The Senate observed today that it is of public knowledge that prior to 2019 and assumption to office of Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun, two of our tertiary institutions, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology (formerly Tai Solarin College of Education) were completely shutdown and next to shutdown respectively.
“No thanks to the primordial sentiments and lack of thorough planning of the previous administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun who turned our institutions to cards to play political games.
“It is agreed to by the Senate that these two institutions are not only returned to their functional state, they are better placed with more elaborated courses to be offered as in the case of Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology where degree programs are ongoing just as National Diploma (ND) and (HND) programmes would start soon as plans are all in progress evident from the name change.
“Tai Solarin University of Education today offers not only educational programs but also pure Arts, Science and Social Science courses.
“The capacity of the institution has been advanced in the last four years such that its goals has been expanded beyond its foundational motive of producing just teachers.
“The Senate recalled that this is the same institution which under the last administration was tipped for scrapping only because Senator Ibikunle Amosun wanted to erase the track record of his predecessor”.
