The National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) has criticised the former Governor of the State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for endorsing Biyi Otegbeye, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2023 gubernatorial election in the State.
The students maintained that the incumbent, Prince (Dr.) Dapo Abiodun, of All Progressives Congress (APC), remains the preferred candidate and would be re-elected by the good people of Ogun State to continue with the good work he is doing in the State.
In a statement signed by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State Chairman, Comrade Damilola Kehinde Simeon and Comrade Ogunrombi Oluwagbemileke, NAOSS National President, made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Saturday, said the ex-governor would not be allowed to foist a stooge on the State.
The students who enumerated several unfriendly policies to the growth of education during the reign of Ibikunle Amosun as Governor of Ogun State insisted that “Amosun lack the credibility needed to go about with an anointed candidate to contest for any position in our state”.
The statement read in part: “We have assessed the keywords of Senator Ibikunle Amosun at the campaign of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday.
“The ex-governor who is hellbent on becoming a godfather of politics in the state has once again embarked on a villain path as he is all out to force his stooge to become the governor of Ogun state at all cost.
“One striking point to prove to the people of Ogun state that the political camp the ex-governor controls, if any, is not built on trust, transparency and commitment to service.
“This is why his last candidate, Akinlade Abdul Kabir, has no moral or principled obligation to remain with him but rather stoop low to go to deputize another candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election. Nothing more could better explain that Amosun is leading a crumbled house built on greed but which individual member’s greed could no longer be sustained.
“As a constituency, our fear is not political but rather holistic about the future of our dear state. Everywhere in the world, children and youths are projected as the future of society.
“It is with qualitative education that proficient teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, administrators, business magnates among many other professionals are produced.
“Senator Amosun in his era as the governor of the state disregarded this by making destructive decisions and policies in the education sector of the state.
“One such backwards-thinking decision he took was to scrap the first University of Education in the state, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED). Not only that the University stands as a legacy for the state to have the first University of education in the country, but it also symbolizes the tradition of the educational heritage of the state by the emulating life lived Dr Tai Solarin whom the University is named after.
“In the course of the defence of the University to stay, we lost one of our noblest comrades, Fashina Olatunji pka Humble TJ in an accident while students were on the way to protest the intended scrapping.
“To the glory of God and efforts of stakeholders, most particularly the Students’ Union of the institution, the school is outliving Amosun as the governor to date.
“In the same manner, he crushed the system of Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology (SACOTECH), formerly Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE) to the point that staff of the institutions were paid as low as five thousand nairas (N5,000) monthly salary all in the bid to demotivate them and pull down the institution to be merged back with TASUED which he wanted to dissolve.
“Today, the institution is fast regaining her feet. Similarly, he destabilized Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) with another deceitful institution he laid claim to building just to secure votes for his stooge who later turned into a deputizing candidate today at all cost.
“These and many more reasons are our justification to antagonize anything ex-governor Amosun brings to the table to the single-handed project for governor. Because it simply speaks hidden tragedy to our education system and at large, our future as students.
“In the resuscitation plans and actions of Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun, all of these institutions are bouncing back and fast growing. That is the standard we want to sustain. An emergence of anything pro-Amosun is a disaster in waiting.
“Hence, our reasons for supporting Prince Dapo Abiodun’s second term bid”.
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