Kunle ADELABU
-Hon. Agunbiade to visit school in November
The Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) Students’ Union Representatives Council Speaker, Rt. Hon. Balogun Babatunde Temitayo (representative of Mechanical Engineering Department) on Wednesday, October 17, led honourable members of the council on a solidarity visit to the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade.
At the brief meeting held at the Hon. Agunbiade’s Constituency Office in Ikorodu, the students’ representatives stated that they had come to identify with the recent success of the former students’ leader at the just concluded primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A congratulatory card was presented to the lawmaker on behalf of the members of the students’ parliament by Hon. Samiat Ajanaku, the representative of the Chemistry department of the institution.
Hon. Sulaimon Jimi, representative of the Estate Management Constituency, while speaking on behalf of the students stated:
“We are here on behalf of the great students of Lagos State Polytechnic on a solidarity and congratulatory visit. We want to identify with your struggle in the emancipation of the students since your days as a students’ leader and your political career which has been very impactful on the masses.
“We are also here to congratulate you on the feat achieved at the recently concluded primary elections of your party during which you secured the ticket to contest in the 2019 general elections to represent your people, including the great students of LASPOTECH because we are part of your constituents, for the fourth term.
“We are also appreciating you for your support to the LASPOTECH Students’ Union Representatives Council, especially regarding the Gavel and Mace which you presented to us in person”.
Sulaimon, however, on behalf of the students’ representatives, requested for Hon. Agunbiade’s intervention in the provision of students’ bus and other facilities in the Union Building.
“Presently, the SRC members lack sitting gown which they are traditionally empowered to wear during sittings. We are appealing to you in this regard.
“Our Union Building also lacks recreational facilities like indoor games, air conditioning system, furniture among others. We want to make the building habitable for students’ leaders and others and we want your intervention in this regard too”.
Aside the request for facilities within the students’ building, the representatives also asked the lawmaker to assist in providing borehole water system and solar power generation facilities in areas where students of the institution are inhabiting outside the school premises.
Rt. Hon. Babatunde Balogun, Speaker of the Lagos State Polytechnic Students’ Union Representatives Council, in his remarks, thanked Hon. Agunbiade for providing good leadership for the younger generations and also for impacting positively on the society.
He pledged the support of the institution’s students for Hon. Agunbiade to ensure his success in coming general elections.
Addressing the students’ leaders, Hon. Agunbiade thanked them for the visit and their challenge that he should continue to use his representation to impact on the people positively.
The three-term lawmaker while commending the students’ leaders for keeping the struggle going, also enjoined them to eschew any trait that is not in conformity with students’ movement.
“Let me be quick to tell and caution that you should not introduce things that are alien and not in conformity with the tenets of unionism. We don’t beg or sing praise in the movement. We use our activism and intellect to get our rights.
“You can be militant and not be violent. Also, you can be radical and not engage in violent acts.
“Our utterances, chants and other adjectives used in the struggle should not include those being used by area boys. We must distinguish ourselves as people of high intellect and leaders in the making. You must start shaping the country you are looking forward to in your ways.
“In my days as the President of the ever irrepressible and dynamic students of Lagos State University (LASU), I recorded the highest number of protest without broken any bottle or louvers, yet, we achieved our aims.
He also advised the students to cultivate the attitudes of reading political, philosophical, law and other relevant books to shape their thinking and views.
Responding to the student’s requests, Hon. Agunbiade pledged to do anything within his power to assist the students and the school in whatever area within his capacity.
He also pledged to visit the school in November for an on-the-spot assessment of the student’s facilities and announce whatever intervention he is going to give on the same day.
“As far as I remain your representative; LASPOTECH exist and the student’s movement also exist.I shall continue to do whatever within my capacity to assist and promote intellectualism. Concerning your requests, I won’t promise you anything now but I shall come to your school for assessment of your building and other areas of concerns and right there announce areas of my intervention.
‘I cannot provide you with a bus but when I come around, we shall make your request formal and I will use my good office in approaching those that can help in providing the bus. As a lawmaker, I can only help in facilitating it by lobbying for you. I assure you that I will do everything within my power.
“You need not be far from people that can assist you. Don’t also make it an attitude that it is only during an election that you would remember your elected representatives. Develop a calendar to visit those that matter within the community after assuming office and familiarize yourself with professionals that are related to your field of studies. Invite them for your orientations and during other programmes to discuss with you”, he advised.
