Students reject North-Central’s hosting of NIPOGA 2024

An avoidable crisis is brewing in the North Central as the National Polytechnic Students Association threatens to disrupt the 2024 NIPOGA Games if zoned to this geopolitical zone of the country.

Arewa PUNCH reports that NAPS, comprising 21.8 million students from polytechnics, monotechnics, health science colleges, statistics colleges, cooperative colleges as well as allied national diploma and higher national diploma awarding institutions , all insisted that they would reject any attempt to deny the Delta State Polytechnic, Ugwashi-Uku, located in the South-South geopolitical zone, the hosting rights of the NIPOGA scheduled for October 2024.

The students, it was learnt, said there had been clandestine attempts to deprive other geopolitical zones of the opportunity to host the biennial games in favor of the North Central which had hosted the match in three times and still looking to take advantage of this opportunity. to welcome back NIPOGA 2024.

In a conversation with Arewa PUNCHNational President of the National Polytechnic Students Association, Comrade Ridwan Munirudeen, has said it would be unfair and unjust to deny the Delta State Polytechnic, Ugwashi-Uku, the right to attend earlier accommodation.

“As a body representing the interests of Nigerian Polytechnic students, we have received speculation that the upcoming Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA 2024) would be attached to the North Central Federal Polytechnic, Offa, precisely, and by Therefore, we condemn and reject such desperate efforts to move in totality,” Munirudeen said during an interactive media session attended by Arewa PUNCH.

While further condemning the move, he maintained that it would be unfair if the Offa Federal Polytechnic in Kwara State, North Central, was allocated the accommodation rights at the expense of other institutions in the six geopolitical zones.

Munirudeen, who maintained that the patience (of their students) should not be tested, warned that anything else would only lead to a crisis that could disrupt the entire NIPOGA 2024 games.

Therefore, to avert a possible crisis, the NAPS President called on the Council of Directors of Nigeria Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology and other relevant stakeholders, to intervene and enable the Nigerian Polytechnic Delta State, Ugwashi-Uku, to host the next NIPOGA scheduled for October.

According to him, “if the preparation of Delta State Polytechnic, Ugwashi-Uku is not impressive, then more time should be given to the school to perfect its action or another zone should be considered but certainly not the Central zone North.

“For the record, NIPOGA is a biennial event and it will be interesting to know that the 18th edition was organized by the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State and the 19th edition was organized by the Federal Polytechnic of Nasarawa from April 26 to May 20, 2017 for the 20th edition which was to take place in 2019 but was postponed to the year 2020 which was also organized again in the Center-North region by the School. Kwara State Polytechnic, precisely from February 5 to 16, 2020.”

The student body president vividly recalled and quoted Dr. Gani Ogundahunsi, Rector of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, who is also the Chairman of the NIPOGA Council, as saying that the

Delta State Polytechnic, Ugwashi-Uku, will host the next edition.

Munirudeen stressed: “We can even recall that Dr. Gani Ogundahunsi, Rector of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo and Chairman of the NIPOGA Council at the end of NIPOGA at RUDIPO, Owo clearly stated that the next host is l Delta State Polytechnic Ugwashi-Uku. and therefore urged us to do better in 2024.

“Unfortunately, some people want to turn the tables on the game, and we have severely disapproved of that.

“It would be so unfair to think about bringing NIPOGA 2024 back to the North Central for the third time in eight years when other institutions in other regions are yet to host.

“Nigeria has six geopolitical zones, so what is happening to the South-South, North-West, North-East and South-West institutions? He asked.

Continuing, he insisted: “The leaders of Nigerian students would deeply appreciate our demand being considered in the interest of national unity, federal character, justice and equity for all geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

“Any attempt to force the organization of the match by the Federal Polytechnic Office, all students concerned will have no choice but to close the school in strong protest,” he threatened.

At the same time, our correspondent also spoke with

one of the coaches who attended the recent NIPOGA matches, held at Kwara Polytechnic, North Central, and who simply identified himself as Oloye

from Kaduna Polytechnic.

Oloye informed Arewa PUNCH that he is yet to hear of any change in hosting rights from Ugwashi-Uku to “anywhere”.

Oloye, who is a badminton coach, said: “We have not heard of anyone moving the 2024 NIPOGA from Delta State Polytechnic Ugwashi-Uku to any other institution. As we speak, preparations for the games are well underway.

“I think at this point anything that could negatively affect the games should be avoided. Tribal, religious and regional politics should not come into play.”

Another student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Ekene Audi, said it was not very good to think about bringing NIPOGA 2024 back to the North Central.

“However, if such a move is in the offing, then it is unfair since the right of accommodation was awarded to Delta State Polytechnic Ugwashi-Uku in the first place,” he said.