SPECIAL REPORT: Inside FEDPOFFA’s Medical Facility, Hostels, Classrooms, and Students’ Union Allegations
SPECIAL REPORT: Inside FEDPOFFA’s Medical Facility, Hostels, Classrooms, and Students’ Union Allegations
Protest sponsored to waste our time—concerned students
After the allegations leveled against the management of the Federal Polytechnic Offa on the poor state of the school’s medical facility, hostel, and insufficient classrooms for lectures, the on-the-spot assessment of the facilities by our correspondents has confirmed that the allegations are baseless and without substance.
From what was observed at the school’s medical center, its health care center on campus is standard, in good shape, and well equipped.
Speaking with the pharmacist at the facility, Pharm. Mrs. Ogundele told our correspondents that the medical center is well equipped with standard drugs needed to treat emergency cases. She noted that the facility is well equipped with good bedding, a functional ambulance, and well qualified personnel that attend to students.
While reacting to the allegations of the Students Union Executives, she revealed that the Students Union President and his welfare director visited the facility for treatment and were satisfied with their service. She labeled the allegations of lack of drugs at the medical center as pointless.
“Our medical centers are standard with quality drugs. Once we need anything and we communicate with the management through a memo, the request is always granted. Our nurses are registered and certified. The president and his welfare came here to receive treatment. Their allegations of lack of drugs in our medical centers are cheap lies,” she said.
To further confirm other claims of the Students’ Union’s poor state of hostels, our correspondents visited the hostels and reliably confirmed that the hostels are conducive. Some students who are still in the hostel spoke with our correspondents anonymously, confirming the conducive status of the students. The students further revealed that those who reside in the hostel enjoy uninterrupted power and live comfortably. The students in their different remarks described the protests as sponsored without substantial reason to waste their time.
Further investigation from the reliable source in the polytechnic has revealed that the reason for the protest was premised on no school fees and no exams introduced by the management. Adding that the students are used to the policy of writing exams without school fee payment and registration, which hinders the growth of the institution.
He further noted that the current administration has tried everything possible to reposition the institution.
“This Rector is trying his best, and he has achieved a lot in the history of the polytechnic. He has done many things that ought to have been done years ago, and he is still doing them. The students don’t want to pay school fees and want to write exams. I think that is where the problem lies, and no institution can take that; all other allegations by the students union are baseless,” he said.
Confirming the availability of lecture rooms, our correspondents visited different departments like mass communication, library and information, science laboratory technology and observed the structures are befitting classrooms and laboratories.
An inside source told our correspondents that the administration has renovated different lecture theaters and departments for a conducive environment for teaching and learning.
“The current Rector has scored an A grade in infrastructural development. He has built more departments, renovated the dilapidated ones, including the lecture theater with furniture. The students union has no idea of what they are talking about, and they have no record of classrooms and departments in school,” he stated.
Reacting to the lockdown of the school for a month, he said the decision is in order to restore peace and avoid damages to government properties. He added that the protest can be hijacked by hoodlums to cause serious problems.
“By now, the students would have realized the importance of dialogue in conflict resolution. They have disrupted the calendar, and they are still the ones at a loss because they are wasting their time at home,” he stated.
In his reaction to information in the media, the Polytechnic PRO described the protest reports published/aired by some media and blogs as unprofessional without a fair hearing. He noted that the journalists who rushed to publish are only interested in aggravating tension and causing more problem rather than striking a balance.
According to him, “Objectivity, accuracy, fairness, and balance are qualities of good news that a professional journalist should consider. It is sad that some media and mushroom blogs did not toe the line of decency. The highly dignified profession has been hijacked by quacks. Thank God we still have some journalists who value the tenet of objectivity. You have seen our medical center, classrooms, and hostels by yourself, and with what you observe, you will evaluate the reasons behind the protest.”
He urged the media practitioners to avoid sensationalism and biases when dealing with matters that have to do with organizational reputation.
To be continued with video clip…