By Eze Collins
There is no better way to describe the conditions of the students of University of Jos who are caught in between the clash of titans as victims of circumstances than the age-long axiom ‘when two elephants fight the grass suffers’.
Industrial actions popularly referred to as strikes are no strangers to students in Nigerian universities. While their counterparts overseas could tell exactly when to graduate judging from their stable calendar, students in Nigeria, especially those in public universities are unsure of when they would graduate because of industrial actions or other disruptions.
The disruption of studies which make students spend longer than expected in school often have varying consequences which no one seem bothered about. Take for instance, students who gain admission into a university at the age of 24 or 25 years and hope to graduate and participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme which has been limited to those below 30 years of age. By the time disruptions make them spend longer years in school, they end up being unable to participate in the NYSC, which most graduates look forward to. They are usually exempted through no fault of theirs.
Apart from wanting to ‘experience’ the thrill of national service, many also look forward to it as a possible avenue of getting retained in the place of service by way of employment. For some others, the monthly allowance (fondly called allowing) gives them opportunity to relief their parents from pocket stipends. And yet, for others, it is a time to build new contacts. These hopes and aspirations are dashed when strikes increase their stay in the university; extending their years beyond the limit of national service.
It is the light of the above that many students of University of Jos are viewing the current strike by lecturers of the institution which has lasted over one month. They said they have come to dread the ember months of the year because of recurring strikes around the period. Ndem Nyam, a three hundred level student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences is one of them. He told 
that he was admitted into the university in 2012 and there has not been a session that was never disrupted within the months of October and November. In his words, “I wonder if the institution has issues with ember months. Maybe we should conduct deliverance for it. Ember months are usually the period that these set-back strikes occur.”
Unlike in the last session when it was between the students and the management which extended the session by three months, the contention this time is between the Academic Staff Union of the University, ASUU and the management. While many view disagreements of this nature as something bound to happen once in a while, they, however, argue that considering the need to readdress the backwardness of the university’s calendar such a weapon of settlement might need to be relinquished for a lighter arsenal.
Speaking to Unijosechoonline, Joy Adiwu a diploma student of mass communication lamented the situation and appealed to the contending parties to reach a compromise that will restore academic activities. “I was just counting weeks to my final exams and then the strike came. I had thought it was a one week warning strike but it dawned on me when after several weeks it was still running. I didn’t travel with the hope that the strike will be called off anytime soon, but then, it is taking much time than I had anticipated. The management and ASUU officials should look beyond the issues and consider the repercussion of this on the destiny of the students.”
The strike which came shortly after the 40th anniversary and founders’ day celebration, whose grand finale was the 27/28 combined convocation, dazed the students. While the anniversary was celebrated with joy and fun fare, the distortion of the academic calendar has cut short the fond memories in the mind of students
Unijosechoonline gathered that there had been two meetings between the university management and ASUU. It was learnt that the second meeting which promised to have yielded results ended in a stalemate when consensus was not reached in respect of the alleged 681 ASUU members whose earned allowances were deducted between March and November 2014. While management position was that the Professor Namo-led committee did not recommend refunds for any academic staff, ASUU was insistent that they have the report that indicates such recommendation.
It was leant that the content of a press interview granted by a member of management after one of the meetings further angered ASUU members and might slow down the resolution of the strike. An ASUU congress meeting held on November 19 which many had hoped might end with a good news for the students did not have calling off the strike as an agenda.According to a source, the meeting only featured briefs by the EXCO on management’s response to the contentious issues.“The congress only resolved to support the EXCO in the fight for the welfare of members”, she said.
It was also gathered that during the emergency meeting, ASUU Branch Chairman, Dr. Piwuna briefed members on the efforts of four past Vice Chancellors in the persons of Prof. Ochapa Onazi, Prof. Nenfort Gomwalk, Prof. Monday Mangvwat and Prof. Umaru Gomwalk to see the matter resolved. They were said to have had series of meetings with both ASUU and management.
The general opinion of students, just like these past Vice Chancellors, is that ASUU and management should find common grounds for an amicable resolution so that academic activities will resume. To them, no matter how cloudy the skies of resolution is, there is always a tiny hope of brightness. The students can only but nurture and harbor such faith amidst the two elephants fighting in this citadel of learning.
