Unease as OSPOLY Management Reportedly Plans To Demolish Students Union Building
Tension is brewing at Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree, as students and stakeholders kick against an alleged plan by the institution’s management to demolish the Students’ Union Building (SUB).
The development has sparked outrage among students, with calls for immediate reconsideration to prevent what they describe as an impending crisis.
In a strongly worded statement signed by faculty and departmental presidents, class governors, and key stakeholders, the Student Executive Council rejected any move to pull down the iconic structure.
The union described the SUB as not just a building but a historic symbol of student activism, autonomy, and community.
“Demolishing this building would erase a vital part of our heritage and undermine the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion that our institution claims to uphold,” the statement read in part.
The students, however, expressed willingness to dialogue with management, provided the demolition plan is shelved.
Corroborating the development, the Student Union Caretaker President, Deborah Olaniyi, confirmed that the school’s Directorate of Student Affairs (DSA) had informed student leaders about plans to construct a 2,500-capacity hall, sponsored by the family of the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, on the land where the SUG building stands.
“We were told that we would be relocated to an abandoned structure at Red Block, which they promised to renovate temporarily,” she revealed, adding that she had questioned why alternative land within the institution was not considered but was told the sponsors preferred the current location.
She disclosed further that the management has therefore decided to look for another space for the building.
Similarly, Tope Olaiya, an activist and graduate of the institution, confirmed the claim, stating that the management had assured students that a new SUB would be constructed, though no clear timeline was given.
Another activist, Adesakin Adefemi, however, warned the management against any move to demolish the building, insisting that students would resist it.
“Osun State Polytechnic Iree management, you can’t demolish the Student Union Building and expect peace. The SUB is our pride, and we will defend it at all costs,” he declared.
However, in a counter-statement, the institution’s Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols, Mr. Bayo Fadeji, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, dismissed the reports as “false and misleading,” stating that there were no plans to demolish the SUG building.
“We are only planning to erect a 2,500-seater lecture theatre around the location of the SUG building. The contractor identified that area as the best site for the project. Maybe the students’ leaders misunderstood the situation,” he said.
