Pres. Jonathan Not To Blame....But He Must To Multi-task — Students

Polytechnic students leaders have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to stop focusing on insecurity alone and find a lasting solution to the lingering Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike.

Speaking during Channels TV’s Rubbing Minds show, two Students Union Government (SUG) Presidents, Babajide Salvado of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) and Abdulkareem Yusuf Temitope of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) called on urgent government action.

Polytechnic participating in the ASUP strike have already lost a full academic year and the student leaders feel not enough has been done to resolve the issues that led to the now nearly 11-month-old strike.

In Support Of ASUP

The union leaders noted that polytechnic students support the striking lectures because their demands are for the good of polytechnic education and the students.

“The government has actually neglected the polytechnics such that the infrastructure that are there are not modern. then the lecturers are not being catered for as expected,” Temitope said.

Salvado added that “the students are in support because majority of these demands [ASUP’s demands] affect the students directly.”

That HND/BSc Dichotomy

One issue that has refused to go away in academic circles is the discrimination between polytechnic diplomas and university degrees.

According to the LASPOTECH students leader, alleged that the Federal Government is not showing enough concerns about the issues affecting the student “most especially the discrimination… between the Bsc and the HND which we want to be bridged.”

Salvado echoed Temitope’s view.

“The key one [that] affects the students directly is the dichotomy that exists between the HND and the BSC” he said.

“This polytechnic sector is the strongest [technology] wise. Any country that actually wants to develop technologically should cater for iits polytechnic sectors.”

Mr. President, Its Time To Multi-task

Salvado argued that the government could do better, even in the face of the security challenges facing the country.

“We are student government officials. We know what it takes to run a government. That is why I would not blame Mr. President or anybody right now.

“But I would still say that, as a leader, you need to be multitasking... You need to take time to tackle all other sectors,” Salvado said.

He added that bureaucracy is another problem that must be addressed.

“The government should just stop the long bureaucracy it engages in tackling issues. Government should respond quickly to issues.”

Supporting this view, Temitope arguing that action must be taken on several committees reports.

“The government refuse to give their commitment to all of the promises and all we have is committees being set up to look at this issues.

“But is there room for implementation? And that is where the problem is now - Implementation of all those committees' reports,” Temitope said.

Last week, on June 3rd, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Kwara chapter, lamented that the 'vacuum' created by the strike is affecting the students.

Meanwhile, several polytechnics are pulling out of the e ASUP strike.