NANs, NAPs Visit Offa Poly, Commend Management, DSA For Development And E-Voting System

By: Olabanji Usman

After being a keen observer of the electoral process right from the screening  level organised for the aspirants by the school management, I have come to align and agree with the numbers of encomiums and commendations awarded to the management and the Dean of Students Affairs of the polytechnic by the Nantional Association Of Nigerian Students and National Association of Polytechnic Students respectively.

Apart from the well organized screening exercise that had the security personnel representatives from  the Nigeria Police force, Nigeria Security And Civil Defense Corps and Detective officers in attendance, the series of intellectual cum critical questions targeted at the aspirants by the Deans of various schools during the screening had also showcased the transformation of students' Union(ism ) from rascality and hooliganism to intellectualism and pragmatism. I must confess, Fedpoffa has possessed set of union leaders with high timber and calibre that can represent the students both in and outside the polytechnic community.

For the fact that Students' Union elections in different tertiary institutions have always been characterised by all sorts of commotion all in the name of Alutarism and of course, some years back, before the appointment of Mr. Gbenga Aleminu as the Dean of Students Affairs in the Federal Polytechnic Offa, manifestoes,  campaigns, elections  in the past had always been marred by misunderstandings  between groups and political movements who maintain different ideologies. But I was surprised at the screening exercise venue when the aspirants were denying and denouncing being members of any political movement. So, the  era of this DSA has killed all forms of political movements within the school, the emergence of this DSA has put an end to riots, clash of interests between groups and has urshered in peace, free and fair election with the advent of E-voting system. A big kudos to the great man behind the wind of peace.

To certify the above remarks, the National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANs)  and the National Association of  Polytechnic Students ( NAPs)  had on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December visited the institution to commend the management of the polytechnic led by Dr. Lateef Olatunji  for a job well done on myriad developments such as the newly tarred 2km road at the school permanent site, for the procurement of multi million naira latest facilities and equipments to develop a 21st century studio for Mass Communication Department, for many buildings and lecture rooms that had previously been renovated and more that are still in the process, for the stable academic calendar and for the E-voting system. The two giants and  apex students associations in Nigeria represented by the executives took their precious time to tour round the institution and thereby charged  the management to keep to the good legacy and at the same time do more for the betterment of the students. According to NAPs in a statement released and signed by the President : " The depiction of high moral value by the students of the institution is enough to explain how nurtured they are by the Polytechnic, and it brings joy that as at the time when students unionism is negatively perceived as 'rascality', these students have negate such perception and redefine the rhetorics of students politics to an enviable and admirable state through proper and well coordinated conduct in the election"

"One of the highs recorded by the institution in the election is the adoption of the E-Voting System by the School Management for the election which brought absolute sanity to the election process"

Similarly, some of the students aired their pleasing opinions as regards to the E-voting system. According to the newly elected Students' Union President, Comdrade Adigun opined that, the election was peaceful, free and fair. He stressed further that larger portion of the students were opportune to cast their votes judicously. According to him: " I want to commend the management, DSA for conducting free and fair election. I also thank great fedpoffites who have reposed their trust in me and I will never jeopardize the interest of the Nigerian students. I commend the security personnel on ground for ensuring that this election was riot free. Unlike before where there will always be misunderstandings because the election is being conducted via ballot system, the advent of E-voting has made it possible for people to vote from their comfort zones and has stopped any form of crisis"

Another aspirant who contested at the faculty level said: " This E-voting is simply the best. It's more save, easier and conducive  as against the ballot system. I commend our DSA for this. He is indeed a great man"

Another student who simply identified himself as Comrade Easy commends the effort of the Management, Security personnel and the entire team incharge of the election. He however faults the negative media reports against the school and tagged it as unfounded rumour and unprofessional reportage.

" We thank God this election was free and fair. Kudos to the management, the security personnel and others that ensure the successful election.  This great institution is one of the best in Nigeria and I want to use this medium to say that all the negative reports from one online media reporter is unprofessional and an attempt to disrepute the polytechnic. Many things mentioned in his investigation have never occurred here and we shall never allow one media to spoil the image of our school. We shall rise against it." He added.