The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Plateau State University chapter, has announced the suspension of academic activities due to insecurity of students and non-payment of member allowances.
The union in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, January 15, noted that its decision to embark on the indefinite strike was reached after its congress meeting at the University’s main campus, in Bokkos on Monday, January 11, 2021.
The chairman of the union in the University, Dr. Pamson Bentse, who spoke with newsmen in Jos, the state capital yesterday, lamented over the spate of insecurity, poor infrastructural development and arrears of earned allowances of members of the union in the varsity.
He noted that students of the university are not safe as Fulani herders do come in at will to graze, while hoodlums also do find their way into the school to rape female students.
Bentse added that the absence of a Governing Council for the University in the past year, was also a reason for the strike, insisting that its absence was not healthy for the growth of the institution. He explained further that the university union had been pressing for these demands for the past three years, but received no positive response.
He said: “This afternoon, after our congress meeting, we have declared a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike. Inadequate capital projects in the University is one of the major reasons behind this strike. TETFUND constructed 90 per cent of the structures you see in the institution.
“There is also the issue of over eight season’s arrears of earned academic allowance for our members amounting to over N215 million. The University is being underfunded by the state government; the 90 million it gets every month is grossly inadequate.
”With good funding, it can set aside funds to train its staff without necessarily waiting on TETFUND,” Bentse noted.
He added: “The tenure of the last governing council expired since October 2019, and a new council has not been constituted. This is not good for an academic institution.
“Our students on campus are not safe because the University is not fully fenced. Herdsmen come in at will to graze, and hoodlums take advantage of the situation to also rape our female students.
“We have pushed for these demands for the last three year, but it fell on deaf ears, and this afternoon, with the approval of our National Executive Council (NEC), we declared an indefinite strike.”
Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, has said that it is only God Almighty that can give Nigeria victory over the increase in insecurity.
