By Press Council
Despite being vast with democracy, the management of the Public Administration department, of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, has portrayed an act of imposition, which is peculiar to military era, in a democratic setting.
Neglecting the fact that the association is for students and meant to preside over the students, the management of the department has shunned the students from deciding those that would lead the elms of affairs of the association.
On Sunday, 18th of September, 2022, the department released a memo inviting students of the department to the inauguration of their departmental executives, with no election nor screening conducted for the imposed executives.In her investigations, Press Council gathered that a good number of students in their penultimate year (ND and HND), had showed interest in pursuing the executive posts of the Students’ association in the department, by purchasing forms, campaigning, amongst other activities expected of an aspirant aspiring for a seat in a democratic setting.
However, without prior notice, the management of the department released a memo that contained the names of the imposed executives, and also invited the students to their inauguration the following day.One Miss Chinaza, Ude Nnenna, was imposed as the president of the association. Chinaza, who was the secretary of the Electoral Committee and had sold forms to aspirants for the canceled election in the department, was eventually appointed to be the President. Although, Chinaza claimed the declaration of her as the President was a surprise.
The Press Council also observed that the proposed election for the association was cancelled after the past immediate administration fixed the election to be held on a Friday, while the institution had scheduled examinations to commence on the following Monday. The management of the department had stepped into the situation, cancelled, and concluded that imposing new executives on the students was the only method the department could use in ensuring transition of power between the past and incoming administration.
However, Usman Adetoro, a candidate vying for the president’s seat, was imposed as the Stakeholder Chairman of the department, while, Aminat Adewole, his opponent, was imposed to represent the department on the faculty executive board.Despite kicks and uproars from students of the department about the imposition of the new executives, the department ignored everything and proceeded with inaugurating the imposed executives on Monday, 19th September, 2022.
According to an undisclosed source, the department is yet to refund the nomination form fee to the boycotted aspirants. Should democracy be slapped on a democratic department?
